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Obesity

Repurposed agent shows weight-loss potential

Nature Reviews Drug Discovery volume 7, page 978 (2008)Cite this article

A Phase II trial of tesofensine, an inhibitor of the presynaptic uptake of noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin, suggests that it might induce double the weight loss in obese patients compared with currently used pharmacotherapies.

The results of the trial, published in The Lancet, show that all doses of tesofensine produced a significantly greater mean weight loss than placebo and diet. For example, patients receiving the 0.5 mg dose showed a 9.2% mean weight reduction (corresponding to 9.1 kg) above that of placebo, and the proportion of patients who achieved more than 5 kg or more weight loss was 87%, compared with 29% in the placebo group. Weight loss was mainly due to loss of body fat.

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

  1. Astrup, A. et al. Effect of tesofensine on bodyweight loss, body composition, and quality of life in obese patients: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 22 Oct 2008 (doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61525-1)

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Authors
  1. Man Tsuey Tse
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Tse, M. Repurposed agent shows weight-loss potential. Nat Rev Drug Discov 7, 978 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd2772

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