Weight Reports on the Wire
This is a list of drugs currently available and under study and some of the latest research in the field of weight control:
Meridia (sibutramine): A neurotransmitter reuptake inhibitor of serotonin and norepinephrine, the chemicals that regulate appetite. Recommended for obese diabetic patients with a body mass index of over 27. Patients can expect a 5% to 10% reduction from their baseline weight.
Studies show sibutramine helps reduce serum uric acid and other beneficial changes in serum lipids.Xenical
(orlistat): A lipase inhibitor approved by the FDA in late April, orlistat interferes with the absorption of fat from the GI tract, a chemical derivative of lipstatin, a natural product that irreversibly inhibits pancreatic lipase. It also reduces serum lipid concentrations. Expected to be available by prescription very soon, orlistat promotes modest weight loss of about 10% of body weight while minimizing the rebound effect of weight increase. Swedish researchers say orlistat users experienced significant, healthy reductions in their blood sugar, insulin and cholesterol levels. It reduces absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, so users are advised to take dietary supplements.Approval by the FDA was delayed for two years because of fears Xenical increase the risk of breast cancer. Later studies showed those risks did not exist.
MGH (melanin-concentrating hormone): Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston found in a group of mice without the small peptide that acts like a hormone weighed less and burned more energy than animals with MGH. It’s being considered an important avenue for drug research, says Joslin’s Terry Maratos-Flier, MD, one of the investigators working on MGH at Joslin.
PTP-1B (protein tyrosine phosphatase -1B): a gene found by Canadian researchers to suppress insulin resistance and weight gain. Very early studies may lead to the development of a drug.
Source: to come
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