SUNDAY, April 10 (HealthDay News) — Obese patients taking a high
dose of an investigational weight-loss pill called Qnexa lost an average
of 22 pounds over a year, while also lowering their cholesterol and blood
pressure numbers, a new study has found.
Qnexa is a combination of two medications: phentermine, the most
widely used weight-loss drug in the United States, currently available
under a variety of brand names as well as a generic; and topiramate
(Topamax), best known as a drug used to ease epilepsy and migraine.
Qnexa was recently turned down as a weight-loss aid by the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration, because there was not enough data on the risk of
birth defects and heart problems related to the drug. Topiramate has been
linked to an increased risk for cleft lip/palate in babies born to women
who took the drug.
The results of the new study, which was funded by Vivus, Qnexa’s maker,
suggest that “the combination of topiramate and phentermine when
administered with some lifestyle counseling could be a valuable treatment
for obesity,” said lead researcher Dr. Kishore Gadde, an assistant
professor of psychiatry and director of the obesity clinical trials
program at Duke University Medical Center.
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