Amphetamines. The amphetamines dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), methamphetamine (Desoxyn), and phenmetrazine (Pleudin) are powerful stimulants. They were used most often in the past but are no longer prescribed for weight loss. These drugs elevate mood and produce some modest weight loss over the short term, but present serious risks of addiction, agitation, and insomnia.
Investigative Agents
Rimonabant. Rimonabant (Accompli) belongs to a new class of drugs called selective CB1 blockers. The drug is designed to block receptors in the brain associated with food consumption regulation. Rimonabant also targets receptors in adipose (fat) tissue. The Rimonabant in Obesity-Lipids (RIO-Lipids) study looked at how rimonabant affected metabolic risk factors, including adiponectin (a hormone that controls a number of metabolic events such as blood sugar use) in high-risk overweight or obese patients with blood fat disorders. The study involved more than 1,000 participants. The findings, published in the November 2005 New England Journal of Medicine, said that people who took the drug significant reduced their body weight and size of their waist.
Earlier studies involving the drug reported that obese patients treated with 20 mg of rimonabant lost significantly more weight and inches from their waist than patients who received placebo. The drug also appeared to have beneficial effects on raising HDL ("good" cholesterol) levels. In February 2006, the FDA issued a letter saying that more research was needed before the drug could be approved.
Note: Fake rimonabant has been found for sale on several websites. Patients should be aware that this drug is still experimental, and rimonabant is not yet for sale. Buying and taking counterfeit drugs can have serious health consequences.
Axokine. Axokine is a type of drug called a ciliary neurotrophic factor. It signals the brain to suppress one’s appetite. It is proving to be effective in achieving weight loss, and also improves cholesterol, lipid, and glucose levels regardless of food intake. It could be particularly helpful for people with type 2 diabetes. Early study results found that severely obese patient who took the drug lose more weight than those who took a dummy pill (placebo). Nearly half (46%) of patients lost at least 10 pounds, compared to 5% of those who did not. Study participants tolerated the drug well. There were no reports of serious side effects.
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