Every time a Burmese python swallows a meal, something remarkable happens inside its body. Its heart expands by a quarter.

However, the side effects — nausea, muscle loss, and gastrointestinal distress — can be brutal. As a result, studies show that nearly half of patients abandon the medication within a single year. If ...

Scientists have discovered a compound in python blood that reduces appetite and could lead to safer, more effective weight-loss drugs.