Merck Pill Derived From Pot Research Curbs
Wednesday, January 9th, 2008Merck & Co.s experimental diet pill, developed using research on marijuana, may curb the munchies and lead to Weight Loss, a study says.Patients taking the pill, taranabant, lost an average of 6 to 12 pounds, depending on dose. Those given a placebo lost about 3 pounds during the 12-week study, published today by the journal Cell Metabolism. The research is in the second of three phases of testing needed for U.S. marketing approval.
About 31 percent of Americans over the age of 20 have abnormally high body fat, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The drug targets a receptor found in the brain and gastrointestinal tract discovered through study on marijuana, the researchers wrote.
“It’s known that when you smoke marijuana, which is a natural chemical that stimulates the receptor, the marijuana has beneficial effects on nausea,'’ said Steven Heymsfield of Merck, the study’s head researcher. The effect on the receptor, called CB1, explains why, he said.
Unlike marijuana, taranabant blocks the CB1 receptor, suppressing appetite. Side effects include anxiety, nausea, vomiting and frequent bowel movements, according to the study. All were more pronounced in the higher doses.
Larger studies will be done to determine the specific profile of the side effects, Heymsfield said. A bigger trial, the third phase of marketing tests, will end this year, he said.
but the tradition of stuffing ourselves with seasonal delights continues. Holiday weight gain tends to be small–an average of a pound a year, according to one study–but it sticks with us and is a leading cause of obesity later in life. A little holiday overindulgence can lead to years of health problems later on. But we overeat anyway. One economist is actually suggesting cash incentives as a way to get people to shed pounds.
Acomplia contains the active ingredient know as Rimonobant that has been proven by medical scientist to actually block the CB1 brain receptors that activate the feelings of hunger in your stomach. By blocking these receptors, Acomplia simply lowers your desire to eat which will quickly let you loose those unwanted pounds as well.