SLU-PP-332 Mechanism of Action

SLU-PP-332 activates all three ERR (estrogen-related receptor) subtypes, nuclear receptors that sit downstream of PGC-1α, the master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis normally activated by endurance exercise. Pharmacologically activating ERR reproduces part of that gene-expression program, increased fatty-acid oxidation, mitochondrial content, and oxidative muscle fiber type, without requiring the exercise itself, earning it the informal nickname 'exercise in a pill.'

Unlike GLP-1 class drugs, SLU-PP-332's weight effects in mice occurred without reduced food intake, the mechanism is about increasing energy expenditure and fat oxidation, not suppressing appetite. This makes it mechanistically distinct from the semaglutide/tirzepatide family despite both being studied for weight-related outcomes.