Weight loss drug ‘reduces appetite’ to combat obesity
Scientists believe they have developed a new drug to reduce appetite in overweight people.
Clinical trials carried out on Merck’s treatment featured 533 obese patients and indicated that significant weight loss could be achieved at a range of different doses.
According to the research team, individuals who took 12 milligrams of taranabant typically consumed 27 per cent fewer calories than those on a placebo drug, and appeared to use up more energy and burn more fat while resting.
Merck Research Laboratories’ Steven Heymsfield, the author of the study, remarked that the results had been "surprising".
"We didn’t expect weight loss at all doses," he explained.
He revealed that taranabant works by blocking cannabinoid receptors in the brain which are responsible for the psychological effects of cannabis and help to regulate energy balance.
"The effects of marijuana on appetite have been known for millennia from its medicinal and recreational use - when you block the cannabinoid system with an antagonist like taranabant, you suppress appetite," he concluded.
Remaining obese puts individuals at an increased risk of heart disease and early death.
The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity
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