Japanese scientists have found that an experimental drug connected with fat regulation prevents the formation of kidney stones in mice. This early work opens the possibility of developing drugs which may help prevent kidney stones in at-risk individuals. The work has been presented at the European Association of Urology Conference in Copenhagen. Passing a kidney stone in the urine can be extremely painful, and has been described as possibly the worst pain which someone can experience. “This is experimental work for now,” says lead researcher Dr. Teruaki Sugino of the Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Japan. “But I believe that this may open the way to the development of the new drugs which can stop the development of kidney stones in at-risk people.” The developed world is experiencing something of an epidemic of kidney stones. Doctors think that this i is due to increasing obesity, and diet and lifestyle changes.