An experimental weight loss drug that targets the brain’s hunger center was shown to be safe and effective for helping dieters shed pounds in a two-year study, researchers say.
The drug lorcaserin works on the serotonin receptor -- the same appetite-controlling hormone targeted by the notorious drug fenfluramine, the "fen" component of combination medication fen-phen. Fenfluramine was taken off the market in 1997 after being linked to potentially life-threatening heart valve problems.
But lorcaserin is far more selective than the drug fenfluramine and much safer, its manufacturer says, because it specifically targets the serotonin receptor associated with hunger while having no impact on the heart.
Half Lost 5% of Body Weight
Half of the dieters in the study lost at least 5% of their body weight, compared to 20% of dieters who took a placebo pill. About one in five lorcaserin users lost 10% or more of their body weight, compared to one out of 14 placebo users.
People who continued on the drug for two years were able to maintain their weight loss better than those switched to placebo after one year, researcher Steven R. Smith, MD, of the Florida Hospital and the Sanford-Burnham Institute tells WebMD.
The study appears in the July 15 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
By the end of year one, 55% of the patients in the placebo group and 45% of those taking the diet drug had dropped out of the study.
During the second year, half of the remaining participants who had been taking lorcaserin were switched to placebo.
The average weight loss during the first year was about 12 pounds in the lorcaserin group and 5 pounds in the placebo group. During the second year of the study, 68% of people who continued to take the weight loss drug maintained the loss vs. 50% of people switched to placebo.
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