A new drug that promises help for the obese will soon be evaluated by the FDA. Contrave by Orexigen Therapeutics takes a new approach to weight loss by combining two existing drugs called Naltrexone and Wellbutrin.
In creating Contrave, medical researchers are taking a different approach in the fight to control obesity. Rather than try to control appetite and the bodys fat storage mechanisms this new drug will try to address two of the reasons that we overeat.
Wellbutrin is a well known anti-depressant and Naltrexone is used to help people quit smoking and also has been used to treat drug addiction. Combining these two drugs creates a powerful weapon that combats two of the major reasons why people overeat: depression and addiction.
This approach to weight loss is so different because it avoids the assumption that people mainly become overweight due to a lack of self-control and will-power. There are many reasons why people become overweight but by focusing on two of the major, well-known reasons researchers are offering new hope to many people suffering from weight gain due to depression or an addictive personality.
Both Naltrexone and Wellbutrin have been around for a while. Naltrexone was approved for treatment of addiction by the FDA in 2006 and Wellbutrin was approved for treating depression in 1985. This means that the safety of the two has been well documented and both are considered safe for use. Participants who took part in a test of the new drug reported that after one year they lost an average of over 6% of their body fat. Side effects reported during the test are few and infrequent with nausea as the most common complaint. Other side-effects include constipation, headache, dizziness and a temporary increase in blood pressure.
Researchers agree that there is no magic pill for obesity mainly because they don’t completely understand what causes it. There are many factors in a variety of different combinations that can cause weight gain and diet pills tend to target only one particular area. Contrave seems a step in the right direction by targeting two well-known behavioral precursors of obesity. Patients along with the counsel of their doctors might get better results by trying several different approaches such as medication and lifestyle changes to achieve success.
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