An experimental drug originally developed to treat Type 2 diabetes may also help combat heart disease, according to new research. An international team of scientists found that the drug, known as IC7Fc, lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels while reducing inflammation — all major contributors to heart disease, the leading cause of death worldwide.

The preclinical findings, published in Science Advances, were led by researchers from Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands and Monash University in Australia. The study showed that IC7Fc significantly reduced triglycerides and artery-clogging cholesterol in mice prone to developing heart disease.

Earlier research had already demonstrated the drug’s ability to help manage Type 2 diabetes. The new study found that IC7Fc can also reduce atherosclerosis — the buildup of plaque in the arteries that restricts blood flow and can trigger heart attacks and strokes.

Mark Febbraio, who led the research at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, emphasized the urgency of the findings, noting that heart disease “remains the world’s biggest killer, driven largely by atherosclerosis,” according to Science Daily.

Previous studies of IC7Fc focused on its ability to suppress appetite and reduce body fat in obese mice. However, the latest research revealed that the drug also lowers cholesterol buildup in lean mice genetically prone to high cholesterol and arterial disease. These findings suggest IC7Fc may offer benefits beyond weight control and highlight the need for further studies in humans.

“These results suggest IC7Fc could offer a dual benefit – helping reduce obesity in some, while protecting the heart in others,” Febbraio said. “It’s an exciting step towards a treatment that targets both metabolic and cardiovascular disease,”