Findings on new pharmaceutical approaches for the treatment of obesity were presented by the researchers at the North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO) meeting in Quebec City, Canada.

"These studies add to our optimism that advances in pharmacotherapy will lead to more effective treatments for obesity," says Louis Aronne, chairman of the Education Committee of NAASO and director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York. "With the recognition that obesity is a chronic disease, comes the understanding that drug treatments, in addition to diet and exercise, can be an important component of treatment, just as it is for other chronic diseases, such as diabetes or high blood pressure." Among the findings being presented:

A 26-week multi-center, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the efficacy of bupropion SR in conjunction with a low-calorie diet in obese subjects with mild to moderate depressive symptoms without major depression. "We found that patients who received the antidepressant medication lost more weight, a 4.6 percent weight loss, compared to those taking placebo, a 1.8 percent weight loss," reports Adesh K. Jain, director of clinical research at the Medical Research Institute Inc in Slidell, La., which was one of the sites where the study was conducted.

A 12-week, multi-center, placebo-controlled study of obese subjects evaluated the use of Axokine, a cilliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) which acts in the brain area that controls body weight. The study also included a follow-up period after drug treatment was stopped. After 12 weeks of treatment, subjects who took the optimal dose of the compound lost 3.6 percent of their body weight, while those in the placebo group gained 0.5 percent. "We also found that the subjects who had taken Axokine maintained their weight loss 24 weeks after stopping drug treatment," says Steven P. Weinstein, senior director of endocrinology at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, N.Y.

A seven-day study of overweight and obese men investigated the effects of Rimonabant, a selective CB1 (cannabinoid) receptor antagonist, on hunger, food intake and body weight. Cannabinoids are natural substances produced by the body and are thought to stimulate appetite. "Our study found that short-term treatment with a selective CB1 receptor antagonist decreases hunger, caloric intake and body weight in overweight and obese men," says H.M. Heshmati, director at Sanofi-Synthelabo Research in Malvern, Penn.

"Although more research is clearly needed on these investigational compounds, these findings broaden our perspective on the treatment of obesity," says Dr. Aronne.

The studies were funded by Glaxo Wellcome Inc, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, and Sanofi-Synthelabo Research, respectively.