A new weight loss pill has shown promise in early studies. In fact, obese people who took the medication not only lost weight but kept it off as long as they continued to take the medication.
The pill is called Acomplia. The results of a two-year long study published in today's issue of the 'Journal of the American Medical Association.'
The latest study examined 3,000 obese and overweight adults and compared data between those taking Acomplia and a placebo. A total of 6,000 people have taken the pill as part of research studies so far.
Some patients did develop depression as a result of taking the pill but it was not so severe that they dropped out of the study.
Acomplia is a cannabinoid receptor, a drug that targets one particular area of the brain that scientists discovered governs mood and feelings. The new drug acts like the 'anti-marijuana.' There is evidence that these receptors govern mood and feeding, which is why smoking marijuana alters mood and makes people hungry.
Studies have shown that those animals with an overactive cannabinoid system tended to overeat and gain weight. However, when the cannabinoid receptors were blocked, the appetite of the animals in the study decreased and they lost weight.
In this study, people on a 20-milligram daily dose lost approximately 17 pounds in one year compared with those on a placebo. In the second year of the study, only those that stayed on Acomplia kept losing weight. Those placed on a placebo did not.
Acomplia is manufactured by a European company called Sanofi-Aventis. The results of this study and others will be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration to determine if the Acomplia can be safely sold in the United States.
The drug also reduced bad cholesterol and decreased glucose levels in patients.
Right now, early tests are promising. In a few years, Acomplia and other medications like it may be able to help obese people lose weight.
