Weight Loss/Maintenance

“Gastric bypass procedure had this remarkable effect of sending Type 2 diabetes into remission,” Karp said. “There’s an urgent need to develop a safer alternative.”

The pill may have a quick path to widespread use, unlike many new treatments in the trial stages.

Researchers used a form of sucralfate, a material that has been FDA-approved for decades.

“We could be testing in humans within one to two years,” Karp said. “Within the next three to five years, this could be available.”