Three Promising New Diet Drugs

ABC's TV show, "The Doctors" presented three new diet drugs today that physicians feel might be effective in the fight against obesity: Qnexa, Contrave and Lorcaserin. Here's a look at the trial results and possible side effects for each one of these promising new drugs.

How are These Diet Drugs Different from Past Diet Prescriptions?

The latest statistics show that obesity has reached epidemic proportions, with over 58 Million people overweight. Even more alarming, the CDC (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion) reports that childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years! All three of these drugs have been shown to be effective in losing weight and may help the medical community in their fight against obesity.

Qnexa, Contrave and Lorcaserin are controlled release formulations that work on the appetite center of the brain, rather than revving up the body's metabolism engine as diet pills have commonly done in the past. They target the hypothalamus, which is our central thermostat control that affects hunger, body temperature, and the way our body burns energy.

Diet Drug Qnexa Combines Two Well-known Drugs

Qnexa was developed by Vivus, and is a formulaton that contains two well known drugs, the stimulant and appetite suppressant, Phentermine, and anticonvulsant Topiramate. During the use of Topiramate to treat epilepsy, it was noticed that the drug also had a side-benefit of reducing binge eating which resulted in weight reduction. In addition to it's magical weight loss properties, Qnexa has also been shown to help sleep apnea and reduce hypertension.

Results of Clinical Trials:

The results from the first clinical trial (named Equip) that included 1,200 morbidly obese patients showed an average 14.7% weight loss over a period of a year, plus significant improvement in heart risk factors. A second trial (named Conquer) included 2,487 overweight and obese patients who had medical problems that included hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or type 2 diabetes. This study showed an average weight loss of thirty pounds using the full dose of the drug.

Side Effects:

In her ABC News article, "Two Old Drugs Make One New Diet Pill" writer, Peggy Peck, provides some concerns voiced by Dr. Carl Lavie of the Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute in New Orleans. She wrote that Dr. Lavie, "raised the caution flag about cardiovascular side effects of phentermine, which he said also has the potential to "cause rhythm disturbances.".

Other possible side effects include disturbances in attention, memory problems, paresthesia (the feeling of pins and needles on the skin), dry mouth, altered taste, and constipation.

Contrave Targets the Hypothalamus to Suppress Appetite

Contrave, is being developed by Orexigen Therapeutics Inc., and is a formulation that combines Bupropion (known as the antidepressant Wellbutrin) and the addiction drug naltrexone.

WebMD's article, "Contrave: New Weight Loss Drug Advances", tells us that, "It's already known that people lose weight soon after starting Wellbutrin treatment. But this effect soon wears off, and people regain weight." They explain that the addition of Naltrexone "lifts the brake" when the effect of the Wellbutrin begins to wears off, resulting in a synergistic effect that signals the hypothalamus to reduce food intake. The combined drug, Contrave, therefore provides appetite suppression for a longer-term weight loss program.

Results of the clinical trials of Contrave: The study conducted included 700 obese people with an average weight of 223 pounds, women accounting for 90% of the participants. Everyone enrolled in a weight loss program that included a diet and fitness program plus counseling. One-third of the participants did not take Contrave.

After the 56-week study, the participants who took Contrave lost 9.3% of their body weight, which averaged 20 to 25 pounds, and more than 29% lost in excess of 15% of their body weight. The participants who did not take Contrave experienced an average weight loss of only 5% of their weight.

Side Effects of Contrave:

Side effects reported were mild to moderate nausea, mild-to-moderate headaches, and constipation, all occurring early in the study. There were no psychiatric symptoms and patients reported "better quality of life" than the participants who did not take Contrave.
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The Weight-loss Drug Lorcaserin Stimulates Serotonin Release

The drug patent for Lorcaserin is held by Arena Pharmaceuticals. According to information provided on the Drugdevelopment-technology.com website, "The drug selectively stimulates the receptors located in the brain's hypothalamus region, which affects appetite suppression and metabolic activities." They also claim that it provides improvements related to cardiovascular risks.

Results of Clinical Trials for Lorcaserin:

Three clinical trials were performed for Lorcaserin. The trials included a total of 4.800 patients in 100 locations across the U.S. for a twelve-week period. The results indicated that a 20 mg dose of Lorcaserin resulted in an average weight loss of 7.9 pounds.

Side Effects:

Results of the studies on Lorcaserin showed no major side effects. The minor side effects reported were headaches, dizziness and nausea, with headaches the most common complaint.

According to MayoClinic.com, one in three American adults is considered to be obese, and obesity has become an increasing health problem on a global level as well. Since even modest weight loss can improve or prevent the health problems associated with obesity, finding an effective way to promote weight loss is critical. If you are dealing with weight related health issues, talk to your doctor and watch for more information regarding these new diet drugs. Qnexa, Contrave or Lorcaserin may be the diet aid that helps you reach a healthier weight.

Resources:

Annecollins.com Obesity Statistics for Adults
ClinicalTrials.gov
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
MayoClinic.com on Bing "Obesity"
Forfreehere.com, article, "Could Qnexa Be the Next Big Diet Pill ?
Tesofensine-information.com
Fatnews.com
Vivus.com