Experimental Weight-Loss Drugs May Fight Diabetes, Too
Three investigational diet drugs now being developed might also help prevent and treat diabetes, preliminary new research indicates.
The drugs – Contrave, lorcaserin, and Qnexa – showed an ability to improve blood glucose levels and other cardiometabolic risk factors. None of the drugs is approved by the Food and Drug Administration, but just last week, the makers of Contrave reported that the drug was performing well in a late-stage clinical trial. The drug is made by Orexigen Therapeutics Inc.
Clinical studies of the drugs have found that all three effectively improved blood glucose levels, blood pressure, and triglycerides, according to research presented this week at a meeting of the American Diabetes Association.
The findings prompted some researchers to say that weight-loss drugs may represent the next generation of diabetes medications, replacing current classes of drugs such as sulfonylureas and thiazoledinediones.
Contrave is a combination of the antidepressant drug Wellbutrin and the addiction drug naltrexone, sold under the brand names Revia and Depade. The drug helps reduce food cravings by targeting the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls appetite, metabolism, and body temperature.
Lorcaserin contains the drugs benzazepine and hydrochloride. People who took the drug in studies showed significantly lower levels of fasting plasma glucose as well as reduced fasting insulin and better insulin resistance compared to patients given placebo drugs in studies, researchers said.
In addition to weight-loss benefits, Lorcaserin patients also enjoyed lower blood pressure, total cholesterol, and triglycerides, the research found.
Patients taking Qnexa benefitted from significantly lower levels of hemoglobin A1c, an indicator of blood glucose levels.
Another highlight of the weight-loss drug studies was that the drugs have not resulted in life-threatening heart valve damage that doomed the popular appetite suppressant drug Phen-Fen. That drug was recalled in 1997 after it was linked to widespread reports of reports of heart disease and pulmonary hypertension in people taking it to shed pounds.
Related posts:
- FDA Warns: Antipsychotic Zyprexa Causes Adolescent Weight Gain The Food and Drug Administration is again warning doctors and...
- Weight-Loss Drug Meridia Linked to Reports of Heart Complications, FDA Warns The Food and Drug Administration said early results from a...
- Kidney Injury Risks Behind Label Change for Type 2 Diabetes Drug Byetta Labeling on the type 2 diabetes drug Byetta has been...
- Kids Taking Seroquel, Zyprexa at Risk of Obesity Weight Gain, New Study Says Children taking commonly prescribed psychiatric drugs like Abilify, Risperdal, Seroquel,...
- Lawsuit Accuses Antipsychotic Zyprexa of Causing Diabetes, Weight Gain An Illinois woman has joined the growing ranks of people...
Ithink the locserin entry needs re-write. ‘Hydrochloride’ is not, by itself, a chemical. And,
Increasing insulin resistance is NOT considered a positive outcome.
Errors, I’m sure.