A new weight loss combination medicine appears to be showing some success. A sustained-release formula that combines bupropion and naltrexone appears to be an effective treatment for individuals that are obese or severely overweight, according to a number of recent studies.
Those that took the highest dose available in the trial lost 6.1% of their body weight over the course of a 56 week trial. The placebo was only able to create a 1.3% reduction for most that used the drug. The drug also improved cholesterol, triglycerides and other problems that are commonly associated with obesity.
The results came from the Contrave Obesity Research study. It is the largest of all of the trials that have been done with the drug. The idea behind the combination drug is to stimulate hypothalamic pro-opiomenanocortin neurons with bupropion while blocking opiod-mediated pro-opiomenanocortin autoinhibition with naltrexone, which will change mesolimbic reward pathways that cause individuals to crave food.
Researchers used patients that were between the ages of 18 and 65 for the study. They also had to have a body mass index above 30, and not have any complications that could potentially lead to loss of life. Patients were randomly placed on the placebo or the bill, which contained 360 mg of bupropion and one or two doses of naltrexone. They took the pill once per day over the course of 56 weeks, and most saw a significant difference in their weight.
All patients were also placed on a specific diet and exercise plan to help researchers gauge the effectiveness.