New Weight-Loss Drug Doing Well in Clinical Trial

People looking to drop a few pounds in time for summer bathing-suit season may soon have a new option in their medicine cabinets.

Contrave, a weight-loss pill now under development by Orexigen Therapeutics Inc., combines the addiction drug naltrexone, which is sold under the brand names Revia and Depade, and the antidepressant Wellbutrin.

The drug works by targeting the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls appetite, metabolism, and body temperature. Late-stage clinical trials of the proposed drug show Contrave has promise as a new weight-loss drug.

It has long been known that Wellbutrin causes weight loss, but the side effect is not permanent and soon wears off. However, by combining the drug with naltrexone, the convenient effect remains in place and the hypothalamus is signaled to continue reducing food intake, researchers said.

Clinical Study and Encouraging Results

The clinical study of Contrave involved nearly 700 obese people, nearly all of them women, who had an average weight of 223 pounds. The participants were divided into two groups: All members were enrolled in an intensive weight-loss program that lasted for 56 weeks, but two-thirds of the patients also were given Contrave.

Less than 60 percent of participants remained in the program for the entire 56-week program, but those who did shed on average 11 to 16 pounds. The Contrave takers lost even more weight than their study colleagues, dropping an average of 20 to 25 pounds, researchers said.

Side effects of Contrave include mild to moderate nausea, headaches, and constipation, most of which occurred early in the study, researchers said.

Similar Drug Also in the Pipeline

The study results were unveiled this weekend at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association.

Researchers say the next step is testing Contrave in patients who are undergoing less-intensive weight-loss programs to determine how the drug performs in those settings. A company spokesperson said the drug may work well without any need for intensive diet and exercise control.

Orexigen also is working on a weight-loss pill called Empatic, which combines Wellbutrin and the anti-seizure drug Zonegran. Clinical studies have shown people taking the drug lost 10 percent of their body weight after just six months, but additional study data is expected later this year, officials said.

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