CBL-514, an experimental injection from Taiwan’s Caliway Biopharmaceuticals tested in phase 2 trials by Dr. W. Timothy Garvey of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Caliway’s Yu-Fang Ling, cut average visceral fat volume 12.01% four weeks after the final treatment, against a 5.68% increase on placebo, per Fox News. The drug is injected into the lower abdomen every three weeks for up to 12 weeks at doses up to 600 milligrams and selectively triggers apoptosis in fat cells while sparing nearby tissue, the same mechanism that had already shown reductions in subcutaneous fat. Liposuction cannot reach visceral fat, so the results, if replicated, would target a health-risk category surgery cannot touch.
Experimental injection cut visceral fat 12% in early trial
An experimental injection called CBL-514 reduced visceral fat volume by an average of 12.01% in early human trials, while the placebo group's visceral fat increased 5.68%.
Why it matters: Visceral fat is strongly linked to heart failure and type 2 diabetes risk, and no existing non-surgical treatment targets it; a targeted apoptosis injection could open a new metabolic-disease category for the Taiwan biotech behind it.
Data as of Sunday, October 11, 2026; single source. Fox News was read in full and cites SciTechDaily for the trial figures; the underlying trial publication and peer-review status are not confirmed here.
Sources
- New belly fat injection cuts dangerous fat surrounding organs by 12% in early human trial · Fox News · 2026-10-11