A study has shown that an experimental obesity drug called Contrave, which is taken along with formal counseling on lifestyle changes, results in a greater weight loss than most individuals find with counseling alone.
The study followed nearly 800 obese adults who took the drug Contrave. The drug combines the antidepressant bupropion and naltrexone, a medication that is used to treat alcohol and drug addiction.
Other trials have shown that the drug does outperform placebo pills, but the drug is especially effective when it is accompanied by lifestyle counseling.
The study found that over the course of one year, participants in the drug/counseling group lost 9 percent of their initial weight on average. This was up from 5 percent compared to individuals who received counseling plus a placebo pill.
The results are interesting to say the least. The drug is currently under FDA scrutiny, along with a number of other weight loss pills that are trying to break into the market. Another drug combines phentermine, which is an appetite suppressant, along with topiramate, and epilepsy medication. The drug has also shown promise in a number of recent studies.
A third drug that is currently up for consideration is Lorcaserin. Locaserin is developed by Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc. The drug reacts on certain receptors in a portion of the brain that regulates appetite and metabolism.
As of now, none of the drugs have been approved, and it doesn’t look like they will be anytime in the near future. The drugs must first undergo a series of tests before they will be approved.