New weight-loss drug endorsed by FDA panel

It's already known that people lose weight soon after starting Wellbutrin treatment. But this effect soon wears off, and people regain weight. That's where the naltrexone comes in, says endocrinologist Dennis D. Kim.

Last Tuesday, amidst a hopeful effort to fight the "obesity epidemic" in our country, an FDA advisory panel endorsed a new weight-loss drug.

 After weighing pros and cons, the panel voted 13 to 7 that the drug Contrave should be approved.

Contrave is a combination of two well-established drugs, naltrexone (treatment for alcohol and opioid addiction) and bupropion (antidepressant and smoking cessation medication), in a sustained release formulation.  The active ingredients have been used for over 20 years.

Endocrinologist Dennis D. Kim, MD, MBA, Orexigen's senior vice president for medical affairs claims:

"Naltrexone comes in and lifts the brake on the Wellbutrin effect so you have a synergistic effect to signal the hypothalamus to reduce food intake. Weight decrease is maintained over time." 

Additionally, according to Kim, an intensive diet and exercise program, though always useful, are not needed in order for Contrave to work well.


In test studies, it was shown that Contrave helped patients who took it for a year lose between 4 and 5 percent more weight than those who took a placebo.

Nausea and mild to moderate headaches were a frequent side effect.  As with many other weight-loss drugs tried in the past, side effects also included increased blood pressure and heart rate, elevating the risk of heart attack or stroke. Bupropion can also cause seizures


The FDA will take the panel's endorsement into consideration when making their final decision as to whether or not to approve the drug for marketing.  This will likely be done by January.


The agency rejected two previous drugs - Lorcaserin and Qnexa - after advisory panels recommended against their approval because the safety concerns were too great.

For those interested in weight loss drugs, it might be wise to first check out some of the natural herbal supplements available.  There is no guarantee they will work, although some companies offer your money back; and at least the risks are minimal. 

As always, it is imperative to learn more about any diet product or pill before you actually try it.

Original article published here.