The experimental diet drug Acomplia helps keep off unwanted pounds for up to two years, new research shows.
After two years of treatment, patients in the study maintained a 16-pound weight loss.
More than a third of patients taking the drug lost 10% of their body weight.
This new research is the fourth positive study of the drug, showing that Acomplia can take off pounds and help people stop smoking.Acomplia can take off pounds and help people stop smoking.
"We can now say that we have robust data that can be replicated that shows [Acomplia] helps people lose weight and maintain that weight loss,shows [Acomplia] helps people lose weight and maintain that weight loss," says Van Gaal, who is a professor of diabetology, metabolism, and clinical nutrition at the University of Antwerp in Belgium.
Participants in the study were randomly selected to take either low-dose Acomplia (5 mg), high-dose Acomplia (20 mg), or a placebo.
Additionally, all patients were told to reduce their daily caloric intake by 600 calories.
After two years, the patients taking 20 mg lost an average of 16 pounds and kept the weight off.
Perhaps even more encouraging, says Van Gaal, is that the patients taking Acomplia dropped inches from their waist, which is especially significant since expanding waistlines are associated with increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.expanding waistlines are associated with increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.
The average waist reduction was 3 inches for patients taking 20 mg and 1.3 inches for those on the lower dose.
After the first year of treatment, 39% of patients taking high-dose Acomplia were able to reach a goal of losing 10% of their weight.