Weight Loss Properties of Addiction Drug Discovered
It has just been discovered that a combination pill made up of two drugs that are commonly used to treat addictions may also help people lose weight, according to researchers in the US.
A report in The Lancet reveals that Naltrexone, a drug commonly used to treat both alcoholics and heroin addicts combined with Bupropion, an anti-smoking drug has been shown in tests to lead to greater levels of weight loss than the standards of diet and exercise alone.
The main property of this newly discovered drug combination it is believed may help to beat the food cravings people experience which lead to weight gain or to dieters cheating on their diets to snack when they think no one is looking.
Identifying the Beneficiaries
Obesity expert Professor Nick Finer, from University College London (UCL), is reported as saying that this new drug may prove to be more useful if researchers are able to better identify exactly who would benefit from its use.
The study was conducted using 1,700 overweight and obese adults of varying ages who were offered a weight reduction program that included advice on diet and exercise. Two thirds of the group were additionally given the combination drug to take in one of two doses, while the remaining third of the group were given a placebo to take twice a day.
The trial was taken over a year and only half the group completed it.
Overall, those that took the combination drug treatment, depending on the dose taken, lost an average of 5-6% of their body mass. This compared with a weight drop of 1.3% for the group taking the placebo.
The researchers added that if they only included those who completed the year long trial, a figure of 8% body mass loss was recorded for those on the combination drug treatment.
Side Effects
As with all new drug trials, there were instances of side effects being reported. Some of those who took part in the trial suffered some side effects which included nausea, vomiting, headaches, dizziness, constipation and a dry mouth.
There have been several recent rejections for drug treatments for obesity, such as Rimonabant, but makers are more confident this time around. Regulators in the United States are currently looking into the possibility of licensing the treatment, which is set to be marketed as Contrave.
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Posted on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 in News | 1 Comments
1 thoughts on "Weight Loss Properties of Addiction Drug Discovered"
Ronnie Anne says:
As a person who is easily attracted to addictive substances, I smoked for many years. I realize it affects my health so I quit smoking. It's virtually saved my life. But I gained weight and now I'm looking for a way to lose it to get my figure back. This article is interesting as it highlights the use of an anti-addiction drug to help people lose weight. I'm certainly interested in knowing more about this. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!