TOFA helped obese mice burn more fat while keeping most of their muscle, something most weight loss treatments can’t say. It hasn’t been tested in humans and isn’t available anywhere. Here’s what the research actually found.
What Is TOFA?
TOFA, short for 5-tetradecyloxy-2-furoic acid, is an experimental compound developed by researchers at UC Berkeley. In a study published in the journal Science Advances in August 2026, it helped obese mice lose fat and improve blood sugar control without the muscle loss typically seen with other weight loss treatments.1
TOFA works on two fronts at once. It blocks an enzyme called acetyl-CoA carboxylase, which slows the body’s own fat production, and it activates two cell receptors, PPARα and PPARδ, that tell cells to burn fat for energy instead of storing it.1 2 Anders Näär, a professor in Berkeley’s Department of Metabolic Biology and Nutrition, led the research team, which also included collaborators from UCSF, the University of Michigan, Massachusetts General Hospital, UC San Diego, and Germany’s Helmholtz Center Munich.1
How TOFA Works Differently From GLP-1 Medications
Mice given TOFA burned up to 18% more energy with no change in how much they ate, how active they were, or their body temperature.1 2 That’s a meaningfully different mechanism than GLP-1 medications like semaglutide, which work primarily by reducing appetite.2
Because TOFA doesn’t ask the body to eat less, the researchers think that may be part of why the mice kept more of their muscle. Appetite suppression alone tends to bring some lean muscle loss along with the fat loss, which is one of the most common questions patients ask about GLP-1 treatment today.
What the Mouse Study Actually Found
Beyond the fat loss itself, the study reported several other changes in the treated mice: improved insulin sensitivity and glucose control, lower triglycerides, and improved markers of fatty liver disease.1 2 When researchers combined TOFA with GLP-1 medications like semaglutide or tirzepatide, the mice showed larger improvements in weight, glucose control, and triglycerides than either treatment produced alone.1 2
One finding drew particular attention: mice held onto their weight loss considerably longer after TOFA was stopped than mice that had been on semaglutide, which regained weight quickly once the appetite-suppressing effect ended.3 The researchers haven’t published exact figures on how much longer the effect lasted, only that the pattern held, and they’re careful to frame it as an early, mice-only finding rather than a proven advantage.3
Is TOFA Available to Patients Right Now?
No. TOFA has only been studied in mice. Its safety and effectiveness in humans hasn’t been tested, and there’s no public timeline for when, or if, that changes.1 2 A company called ReRx Therapeutics has been formed to move the research toward human trials, but preclinical success in mice doesn’t guarantee the same results hold up in people.1
Until human trials happen and the FDA reviews the results, TOFA isn’t a treatment option anywhere, at Dynamis or elsewhere, and no responsible provider should present it as one.
Why Muscle Loss Is a Real Concern With Weight Loss Treatment Today
This is exactly why the TOFA finding is worth watching even at this early stage. Muscle loss during GLP-1 treatment is a documented, real concern, not a fringe worry, and it’s something our providers already build a plan around rather than waiting on future research to solve.
At Dynamis, medical weight loss starts with comprehensive lab work and a personalized protocol built by a board-certified provider, not a prescription handed over on its own. Your Dedicated Health Coach works with you on body composition specifically, protein intake, activity, and monitoring, so muscle preservation is addressed with today’s tools while research like TOFA continues to develop. That’s a different claim than saying muscle loss risk is eliminated. It isn’t. It’s managed, deliberately, by a team watching for it.
What This Means If You’re Considering Medical Weight Loss Now
TOFA is a genuinely interesting research direction, and it’s reasonable to want to know what’s coming before you commit to a plan. But “coming” is doing a lot of work in that sentence. Right now, GLP-1 medications remain the real, available option, backed by years of human data, and the muscle loss question that makes TOFA interesting is one our providers already account for in your protocol.
If you’re weighing your options, a Dynamis provider can walk you through what’s proven today, what a personalized protocol built around your labs would actually look like, and how we manage the muscle preservation question directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is TOFA a Peptide?
No. TOFA is a small-molecule compound, not a peptide. It’s a small-molecule pill, like most prescription tablets, rather than a peptide chain like semaglutide or BPC-157.
Will Dynamis Offer TOFA?
There’s no current plan to, and there couldn’t be yet. TOFA hasn’t entered human trials, let alone FDA review, so no licensed provider or pharmacy can legally offer it. If that changes, it would go through the same evaluation any new medication does before it has a place in a personalized protocol.
