The drug giant
Merck has a new experimental diet pill,
developed based on research on marijuana. This pill may curb one's
appetitie and lead to weight loss, a new study says.
The pill is named taranabant, and patients taking it lost an
average of 6 to 12 pounds, depending on the dosage. Those given a
placebo lost about 3 pounds during a 12-week study, published
recently by the journal Cell Metablolism.
Taranabant targets a receptor found in the brain and
gastrointestinal tract. Unlike marijuana, taranabant blocks the CBI
receptor, suppressing appetite. Side effects of the drug include:
anxiety, nausea, vomiting and frequent bowel movements, according to
the study.
Larger studies are to be performed to determine the specific profile
of these side effects, according to obesity researcher Steven
Heysmfield of Merck. A larger trial, the3rd phase of marketing
tests, will end this year.
The major thing to overcome is psychiatric. There are some effects
related to anxiety and depression related to the drug.
Merck said in December 2007 that it expects to file for marketing
approval for taranabant by the end of this year (2008).
As always, the "magic pill" for weight loss is not here yet, and
some side effects are likely to be associated with it.