(NaturalNews) Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. announced Tuesday that it would be putting the development of its formerly promising weight loss drug MK-0557 on hold because of the pill's failure to deliver in real-world human trials.
The 10-year trial -- reported in the October issue of Cell Metabolism -- measured the weight loss of 832 obese people, and while they tolerated the drug well, they only lost an average of 7.5 pounds while the placebo group lost an average of 4 pounds.
"People did lose a statistically significant amount of weight, but not clinically meaningful," said lead researcher Dr. Steven B. Heymsfield, executive director of clinical sciences at Merck. "The weight loss was about 3 pounds above the placebo group, but that has no commercial viability for a drug company."
MK-0557's power was supposed to lie in its ability to regulate hunger by blocking the NPY5R receptor, but while the drug caused significant weight loss in animals -- and even completely blocked the receptor in humans -- the study results seem to suggest NPY5R is not a major factor in hunger regulation.
"Maybe it's not a main pathway," Heymsfield said. He also suggested that multiple pathways might regulate food intake and, "if one system shuts down, other systems compensate for it."
Some experts say that the real flaw of the drug is it is indicative of looking for "magic bullet" cures for things like weight loss.
"In my view, this trial suggests not that a cocktail of drugs will be needed, but that for the most part, drugs are not the right answer at all," said Dr. David L. Katz, an associate professor of public health and director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine. "Though rare cases of obesity may warrant medication as part of a comprehensive treatment plan, the hope that drugs will save most of us the trouble of addressing weight control through lifestyle practices is misplaced.
"The causes of epidemic obesity are all around us and largely modifiable whenever we muster the will," Katz said. "The relative failure of MK-0557 will perhaps encourage us to focus less on attempts to block receptors in our brains, and more on using our brains to unblock opportunities for more healthful eating and activity in the schools, work sites, and communities we frequent each day."
Natural health advocate and "Food Timing Diet" author Mike Adams agreed.
"No pill is going to magically melt pounds away, but using nutritious foods to balance your hunger, exercising, and having realistic expectations about weight loss can help you shed excess weight," he said. "When you eat can be as important as what you eat. You can control your appetite by eating the right foods at the right time, and still lose weight."
###
Related Articles
• Trim Spa weight loss supplement is formulated with effective ingredients
• DHEA for weight loss: miracle drug or unproven experiment?
• "Miracle" weight loss drug Alli delivers more than you bargained for (diapers optional)
• FTC sues Kevin Trudeau over weight loss claims while ignoring Big Pharma monopoly pricing
• Weight Loss Centers Are Popular, But Do They Really Work?
 |
Popular Topics:
weight loss, Merck, weight loss drug, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Breast cancer, Prostate cancer, Heart disease, Depression, High cholesterol, Osteoporosis, Vaccines, Autism, ADHD, Infertility, Weight loss, Cancer, Alzheimer's, Trans fats, Acrylamides, Fluoride, Mercury |
Take Action: Support NaturalNews.com
Email this article to a friend
Share this article on: NewsVine | digg | del.icio.us
Permalink to this article: http://www.NaturalNews.com/020629.html
Reprinting this article: Non-commercial OK, cite NaturalNews.com with clickable link.
|
 |
 |
Receive our Natural Health Newsletter for FREE
Subscribe now (it's free!) to win. We randomly choose a subscriber each month to send $100 in eco-home products or a RealGoods.com gift certificate (our choice). Plus, you'll receive FREE news, articles and action alerts from NaturalNews.com editors and join over 800,000 monthly readers who report extraordinary health improvements after becoming a subscriber!
- Receive breaking news alerts on natural health solutions, renewable energy, the environment, global warming and more.
- Receive a free instant download of our $29 Secret Sources guide that reveals top sources for little-known health and diet solutions.
|
|
 |
 |
Recommended Special Report:
Seven Words that can Change the World
by Joseph R. Simonetta
Read this special report now...
"Seven Words That Can Change the World reveals the astonishing, simple truths that have the power to forever transform our world for the better while freeing our minds from the enslavement of limiting beliefs. This is not a text for the simple-minded; it is a guiding philosophy for the mindful, intelligent few who are wise enough to seek out -- and recognize -- the higher simplicities of truly purposeful living." - Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, editor of NaturalNews.com
|
More on NaturalNews.com:
• Streaming Health Ranger Videos
• CounterThink Cartoons
• FREE Special Reports
• Podcasts
|
 |
|
 |
 |
NEW 6-CD audio set reveals amazing new protocol for reversing cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and more. Click to learn more. |
 |
Own the first 8 Health Ranger Report audio programs on 6 CDs. Covers weight loss, ADHD, vaccinations, processed meats, bone health and more. Click to learn more. |
Featured Videos
Short clip on Aspartame
A short clip on aspartame from the documentary All Jacked Up.
Click here to view now...
Exclusive video on Aspartame
The dangers of aspartame! Exclusive interview footage from Cori Brackett of Sweet Remedy.
Click here to view now...
Exclusive Footage from All Jacked Up!
See interview footage featuring the Health Ranger in the upcoming junk food film, All Jacked Up.
Click here to view now...
Drug Ad Parody
See the Health Ranger's satire parody of Merck's cholesterol drug ad.
Click here to view now... |
When pharmacists tell the truth

Bariatric surgery

HPV Vaccine Texas Tyranny

|
|
Read recommendations on supplement companies, health food manufacturers and personal care product makers that you can trust. Our 100% independent review list tells you who to trust and who to avoid in the natural health industry. Click to read. |
|