Originally published June 19 2005
Miracle diet drug still a myth for now
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Many Americans are looking for that magic "quick fix" weight-loss pill which will make reaching their weight goal easier Newsday.com reports, but even new prescription weight loss pills like Accomplia will not work on everyone.
A drug that would make weight loss easier is one of the most prized but elusive goals in medicine, and numerous pharmaceutical companies are working on diet drugs that could reach the market during the next decade.
Sanofi-Aventis recently applied to the Food and Drug Administration for approval of Acomplia, which, if approved, would become the first new prescription obesity drug in six years.
Instead, Acomplia's role more likely would be as one of a number of drugs that not only aid weight loss but also address the medical consequences of obesity, such as diabetes and heart disease, researchers say.
"What most patients are starting to realize is that they need a little help," said Dr. Ken Fujioka, director of the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center at Scripps Clinic in Del Mar, Calif.
Meridia works by creating a sensation of fullness and curbing hunger, but it has been linked to increases in blood pressure and heart rate.
For patients who need to drop less than 30 pounds, experts say that lifestyle changes, such as an improved diet and more exercise, are likely to be more effective.
And for those who need to lose a great deal of weight, 100 pounds or more, bariatric surgery is probably the best option, they say.
Moreover, it is likely that the impressive results of a drug, achieved during a short-term, carefully controlled research study, may be difficult to repeat in real life.
As recently as the 1980s, the only medications to help people lose weight were stimulants, which boost metabolism and suppress appetite.
Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. in San Diego said it was testing higher doses of its diabetes drug, Symlin, to determine if it could aid weight loss by enhancing the feeling of fullness when eating.
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