14 DAY TRIAL // Health experts are becoming increasingly worried about how things stand right now: despite repeated warnings, it seems that the number of the overweight and obese is growing at an alarming rate. In this context, coming up with new prescription diet pills that work without putting the patient’s health at risk is vital, USA Today says. At least three new such drugs are currently undergoing tests, pending approval for the US.
We must bear in mind, though, experts stress, that these drugs would be prescription-only and exclusively for the use of those people whose issues cannot possibly be solved in another way. Combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise, these three new drugs might actually help many obese get back to a healthy weight, thus blocking the risk of further complications down the road. On the downside, it will be at least another year until they become available on the market in the US, the same piece says.
“Obese patients who took one of the medications along with cutting calories and exercising lost about 15% of their starting weight in a year. The companies still have to submit their new drug applications to the Food and Drug Administration and go through a rigorous review and approval process. Even if the medications get the government’s OK, it will be a year or more before they are available to the public.” USA Today also points out.
Still, coming up with a weight-loss drug that curbs the appetite and thus leads to considerable weight loss is vital at this point in time, wherefrom this rush on behalf of researchers from drug companies to be the first to come up with this ideal diet pill. Still, they also have to consider the possibility that different drugs will be needed for different obese people, just like they have different drugs to treat high blood pressure, the aforementioned publication says.
“Many obesity researchers say safe and effective weight-loss medications can save lives – and money – by curbing the incidence of weight-related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer. ‘Losing weight is hard, and we need more tools in our toolbox to help patients,’ says Donna Ryan, associate executive director for clinical research at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge.” USA Today further explains.