XENICAL DEIT PILL BLOG

SenseWear(R) Shown To Be Effective Behavioral Modification Tool For Weight Loss

May 31, 2007

BodyMedia, Inc., the pioneer in metabolic assessment and behavioral therapy solutions, announced today the first ever study results demonstrating that by incorporating the SenseWear(R) body monitoring system into weight loss intervention programs physicians can improve treatment outcomes. The results present positive evidence on the ability of SenseWear(R) to assess and report patients’ daily metabolic behavior accurately and continuously which when provided to both patient and physician can contribute to behavioral change and improve health.

“One challenge for physicians and other healthcare professionals working with patients in behavioral weight loss programs is how to inform them about their own bodies and behaviors so they can impact their weight loss and overall health,” said John Jakicic, Ph.D. an investigator in the study and chair of the department of Health and Physical Activity at the University of Pittsburgh. “We found that the SenseWear(R) Body Monitoring System provides a tool to inform patients’ about their level of physical activity, which facilitates behavior change related to their disease management plan.”

The study results, which were published in the April 2007 issue of Obesity, examined the effects of the SenseWear(R) Body Monitoring System on 57 patients enrolled in a 12-week behavioral weight loss intervention program. The results showed that weight loss was significantly greater among the patients who used SenseWear(R) continuously during the program. Their weight loss was nearly twice as great as those who used SenseWear(R) only intermittently.

Ideally suited for patients with chronic conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes, the SenseWear(R) Body Monitoring System delivers up-to-the-minute behavior data such as calories burned, physical activity and sleep to physicians and patients. This kind of information is the foundation to any behavioral change program intended to help manage metabolic disorders and promote weight loss. Patients and their physicians use the feedback to identify the behavior prescriptions and individual lifestyle that best promote weight loss and healthy living, ultimately lowering the risks associated with their chronic conditions.

“Until now physicians have not had an effective tool that encourages behavior modification in the millions of patients who are overweight or suffering from obesity in the U.S.,” said Donna Wolf, Ph.D., clinical research manager for BodyMedia. “With the SenseWear(R) Body Monitoring System patients have a means to bridge the gap between clinicians’ behavioral change recommendations and their ability to understand and adhere to them.”

Discount Pharmacy - Buy Pharmacy at discount prices including free shipping.Discount Pharmacy provides confortable and easy way to order discount pharmacy online.

BodyMedia is also announcing the results of 10 clinical studies using the SenseWear(R) armband presented at the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) 54th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, La., May 30-June 2. The poster presentations include:

– “Validation of the SenseWear(R) Pro ArmbandTM to Estimate Energy Expenditure during a Simulation of Daily Activity,” presented by Alyssa Mealey of the University of Pittsburgh on Wednesday, May 30 at 9:30 a.m.

– “Validation of the SenseWear(R) Pro ArmbandTM to Estimate Energy Expenditure During Resistance Training,” will be presented by Lisa M. Mealey of the University of Pittsburgh on Wednesday, May 30 at 9:30 a.m.

– “Does Clothing Affect the Accuracy of the SenseWear(R) Pro ArmbandTM to Estimate Energy Expenditure During Walking?” will be presented by Kelli K. Davis of the University of Pittsburgh on Wednesday, May 30 at 9:30 a.m.

– “Validation of the Sensewear(R) Pro ArmbandTM to Assess the Energy Expenditure of Yoga Exercise,” will be presented by Jessica L. Sharpenstein of the University of Louisville on Wednesday, May 30 at 9:30 a.m.

– “Validity of the Sensewear(R) Pro ArmbandTM during Outdoor Cycling,” will be presented by Elizabeth M. Mattson of the University of Louisville on Wednesday, May 30 at 9:30 a.m.

– “Reliability and Validity of the Sensewear(R) Pro ArmbandTM During Continuous Functional Resistance Exercise,” will be presented by Kara I. Gallagher, FACSM, of the University of Louisville on Wednesday, May 30 at 9:30 a.m.

– “Measurement Agreement Between Two Pattern-Recognition Activity Monitors,” will be presented by Miguel A. Calabro of Iowa State University on Wednesday, May 30 at 11:00 a.m.

– “Comparison of Activity Monitors Accuracy to Estimate Energy Expenditure of Daily Living Activities,” will be presented by Christel Galvani of Catholic University in Milan, Italy on Wednesday, May 30 at 11:00 a.m.

– “Validity of the Bodymedia Sensewear(R) Pro2 ArmbandTM During Resting and Walking Conditions in Adolescents,” will be presented by Jeffrey S. Hallam of the University of Mississippi on Wednesday, May 30 at 11:00 a.m.

– “Validation of a Computerized 24 Hour Physical Activity Recall (24PAR) Instrument Using Pattern Recognition Monitors,” will be presented by Gregory J. Welk, FACSM, of Iowa State University on Wednesday, May 30 at 5:00 p.m.

Posted by toshko under Xenical News | Comments (0)

Study on Green Tea and Weight Loss

May 29, 2007

The best course of action to take sometimes isn’t clear until you’ve listed and considered your alternatives. The following paragraphs should help clue you in to what the experts think is significant.

It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of Study on Green Tea and Weight Loss is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about Study on Green Tea and Weight Loss.

For many years now, several benefits are attributed to drinking green tea. Today, researchers have come up with newer proofs to solidify the belief that green tea can be used as a treatment for obesity and for weight loss.

It is held that more than half of the American population have weight problems or are obese. Conditions like these are almost always linked to certain complications like heart disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, gall bladder disease, and hypertension. Weight loss can aid in assuaging the symptoms of some of these conditions.

Scientists have tirelessly investigated on the weight loss benefits of green tea. They have found that green tea can actually enhance the total amount of energy spent by the body. From their findings, they were able to deduce that green tea has great potential for a weight loss benefit.

Other researches were able to confirm the weight loss benefit of green tea. A recent study at the University of Geneva had the conclusion that, “Green tea has thermogenic properties and promotes fat oxidation beyond that explained by its caffeine content per se.” Where before it was generally believed that the caffeine content in green tea is the reason for its weight loss benefit, this recent study deviated from that theory. Green tea has other substances in them that are helpful in weight loss.

The same team who conducted the study on green tea’s caffeine content and weight loss banded together in Switzerland to perform another experiment. They were still able to come up with the same results: that green tea has several thermogenic attributes that make it perfect to use in any weight loss program.

Sample Studies: Green Tea and Weight Loss

Drugs Online - Buy Drugs Online at reasanoble prices.DrugOnline.cc provides confortable and easy way to order drugs online including drugs free shipping.

Green tea reduces body fat accretion caused by high-fat diet in rats through beta-adrenoceptor activation of thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue. Conducted by chief scientist J.J. Choo of the Department of Food and Nutrition, Kunsan National University, this study aimed to find out if green tea can suppress body fat and to find out whether this suppression is connected with thermogenesis spurred by the body’s beta-adrenoceptor being activated.

To investigate the weight loss benefit of green tea on rats, the scientists placed their subjects on a high-fat diet and provided them with green tea extract. It was discovered that even though the rats were on a high-fat diet, the green tea extract counterbalanced fat gain without affecting the amount of energy they took in. Green tea was said to have shown some weight loss benefits in the fact that it can prevent fat from being stored, can increase protein levels, and promote thermogenesis by triggering beta-adrenoceptor to action.

Recent findings of green tea extract AR25 (Exolise) and its activity for the treatment of obesity. This study is a collaborative work between Doctors P. Chantre and D. Lairon of the Laboratoires Arkopharma in Carros, France. Published in the 2002 issue of Phytomedicine, this study aimed to find out if green tea extract has weight loss benefits and can be a potential cure for obesity.

In their study, they used an 80% ethanolic concentrate in green tea extract with standardized 25% catechins. They tested the green tea extract and were able to find that it could directly inhibit gastric and pancreatic lipases. These enzymes are the primary cause of fat storage and by delaying their actions; green tea extract therefore exhibits a weight loss benefit that can help solve obesity problems.

It was also discovered in this study that green tea can stimulate thermogenesis. Given to moderately obese patients, the green tea extract was said to have caused a decrease in weight by 4.6% and a reduction of waist circumference by 4.48% after only three months. The findings of the study clearly implicate the weight loss benefits of green tea.

Now you can be a confident expert on Study on Green Tea and Weight Loss. OK, maybe not an expert. But you should have something to bring to the table next time you join a discussion on Study on Green Tea and Weight Loss.

Posted by toshko under Xenical News | Comments (0)

First FDA Approved OTC Weight Loss Pill To Hit Shelves

May 24, 2007

The nation’s first FDA approved over-the-counter diet pill Alli doesn’t hit drug stores until mid-June, but Alli’s maker GlaxoSmithKline is taking the unprecedented step of opening a storefront in the middle of Manhattan to advertise and educate people about the fat blocking pill.

“It is very important for us to remind people that the solution is not inside a pill,” said GlaxoSmithKline Vice President Steve Burton.

Clinical trials show the pill blocks the absorption of a quarter of the fat a person eats at each meal and helps people lose 50% more weight if used with a diet and exercise program.

The bulging diet industry has come under fire for marketing products and pills as quick-fix weight loss solutions without warning about possible side effects.

GlaxoSmithKline is taking a different approach. The new information center is set up to educate the public on healthy habits and exercise. The company also touts the pills benefits and stresses the pills limits.

Former NDP leader Broadbent criticizes silence on pain

“If you have a meal that has too much fat, you’re gonna have treatment effects…those that do might have to go the bathroom more often, might find their stools a little softer,” said Burton.

A negative reinforcement nutritionists say could help motivate people to change their habits and eat less fat. But nutritionists say a pill is not essential in the equation to shedding pounds.

“By making other choices such as lower fat foods and smaller portions, someone will be able to make those life-long changes without any kind of medication,” warns Cindy Moore, Director of Nutrition Therapy at the Cleveland Clinic.

Alli will be sold in starter packs with a 60 or 90-day supply of pills or capsules. The cost for the packs will range between $50 and $60 dollars.

Posted by toshko under Xenical News | Comments (0)

WESH 2 Weight Loss Challengers Step On Scales

May 21, 2007

ORLANDO, Fla. — For the last three weeks, four Central Floridians have been shedding pounds in the WESH 2 Weight Loss Challenge.

They’re putting two diets to the test, the Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet, WESH 2 News reported.

Each participant has a compelling reason driving them to lose weight, and the results so far have been impressive.

Scott Spires, 28, wants to lose weight for his upcoming wedding day. He’s exercising and saying goodbye to carbs on Atkins. Spires weighed in at 275 pounds at the beginning of the challenge, and he now weighs 263 pounds.

Claudia Baker, 56, is also on Atkins. She gained 30 pounds following the murder of her son three years ago. The grandmother of three needs to lose weight for health reasons. She has lost 11 pounds, and she now weighs 195.

Drugs Online - Buy Drugs Online at reasanoble prices.DrugOnline.cc provides confortable and easy way to order drugs online including drugs free shipping.

Toni Barkett, 61, said working out is no big deal for her, but going on the South Beach Diet was. Barkett is determined to be fit and healthy for the birth of her first grandchild. She weighed in at 169 pounds three weeks ago and now weighs 164 pounds. Her granddaughter was born last weekend.

Finally, radio DJ Scott Smith has battled with his weight his entire life. The 37-year-old father said he fears his son is following in his footsteps. He stepped up to the plate and started the South Beach Diet. Weiging in at 278 pounds three weeks ago, he now weighs 269 pounds.

Posted by toshko under Xenical News | Comments (0)

Adnan Sami in remarkable weight loss

May 21, 2007

Singer Adnan Sami’s weight loss of around 100 kg in just one year has been a remarkable story.

In fact, in a crowd of before and after weight loss advertisements, Adnan Sami’s was one before and after photograph that got everyone talking.

This was also because he was one of the few celebrities in Bollywood to talk so candidly about his seven-year struggle to lose weight.

“At my weight, doctors gave me an ultimatum that if I didn’t lose weight, it would be dangerous for my life. They gave me six months to live. It was literally a do or die for me,” said Adnan Sami, Singer.

But his foot tapping fun numbers including his album Kabhi to Nazar Milao, which became the all-time largest selling independent album in India, gave little hint of the personal upheaval he was going through.

His marriage had broken up and there ensued an ugly custody battle.

“With me, it was three factors. A genetic tendency from my mother’s side, emotional because I went into depression after I lost my son’s custody and also lifestyle where I was eating whatever at all times. It was a vicious circle. I was depressed so I was eating, I was eating therefore I was depressed.”

“When my doctors told me that this could be fatal, my dad and I sat down and I had written my epitaph, made my speech, told him I’d lived my life to the fullest and didn’t have any regrets.”

“But he told me he would not let me go down like this. That’s when he made me promise to leave everything and come to the US,” said Adnan Sami, Singer.

Thereafter, he went to the US and was put under the supervision of doctors and nutritionists.

A balanced diet was designed for him and his lifestyle strictly monitored. The result was that he lost a remarkable 110 kg in less than ten months.

What about speculation that he couldn’t possibly have lost so much weight in such a short while without resorting to shortcuts like surgery?

Drugs Online - Buy Drugs Online at reasanoble prices.DrugOnline.cc provides confortable and easy way to order drugs online including drugs free shipping.

“There are so many misconceptions about things like the liposuction. But how much will you suck out of a 200 kg person? Liposuction is only for fine-tuning to remove a little here and there.”

“I also went to a surgeon and asked him about it and he looked at me and said Are you serious?! Look at me! You don’t need liposuction, you need a vacuum cleaner! I looked at all these things but they were not for me,” said Adnan Sami, Singer.

So what does he actually eat? What is the secret diet that’s making him lose all that fat?

“If someone earlier told me lets have a salad, I’d be like are you serious? But I’ve reached a stage where I enjoy my vegetables. I have a generous helping of salad once a day and a dal without tadka once a day.”

“Will have to follow a strict routine for the rest of my life. Mostly vegetarian, and the absolute no no are oil, sugar, rice and bread,” said Adnan Sami.

The singer says that the weight loss has granted him a new lease of life.

The man who is the only Asian artist to sell out Wembley Stadium on two consecutive nights says that he’ll be ready for a world tour if he loses another 20 kg

“I’d reached a point when I couldn’t lie down flat on a bed. I started sleeping while sitting because if I lay down the fat would push against my lungs and I’d start feeling choked. I’ve got my sleep back. I used to be asthmatic, that’s improved. Apart from the scales, the best is when I find my trousers are loose on me every few days,” said Adnan Sami.

Posted by toshko under Xenical News | Comments (0)

Insulin Levels may Predict Weight Loss on Certain Diets

May 16, 2007

Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — With swimsuit season fast approaching, many Americans are in need of a diet to help them shed excess winter weight. A recent study reveals a person’s insulin levels may dictate which diet is best for them.

When researchers at the Children’s Hospital in Boston looked at 73 overweight people between ages 18 and 35, they found those with higher insulin secretion levels lost more weight on low-glycemic load diets than low-fat diets. A low-glycemic load diet consisted of 40 percent carbohydrates and 35 percent fat while a low-fat diet consisted of 55 percent carbohydrates and 20 percent fat. Although overweight participants with low insulin levels performed similarly on both diets, low-glycemic load diets caused increases in HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) in all participants while low-fat diets caused decreases in LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol.)

Discount Pharmacy - Buy Pharmacy at discount prices including free shipping.Discount Pharmacy provides confortable and easy way to order discount pharmacy online.

“Biology may offer another explanation of why some people are more successful with weight loss than others,” Cara Ebbeling, Ph.D., co-director of obesity research at Children’s Hospital Boston and assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, told Ivanhoe. “Based on our results, it seems people who are high insulin-secreters may be particularly susceptible to weight gain or have a challenge with weight loss when trying to follow a conventional, low-fat diet that’s high in carbohydrates.”

Ebbeling said after a low fat, presumably high-carbohydrate meal, people experience an insulin spike that tells the body to store the new fuel, making that person hungry again. “Repeated high-carbohydrate meals followed by spikes and insulin and hunger may cause overeating and, over time, weight gain,” she said.

Ebbeling also said the results of her study show a low glycemic load diet could be good for everybody since it also leads to increased levels of HDL and triglycerides regardless of insulin secretion levels.

Posted by toshko under Xenical News | Comments (0)

Weight-Loss Gadgets Go High Tech

May 15, 2007

From the vibrating belt and bizarre roller devices of a century ago to the ear clips, drug patches, magnetic bracelets and “miracle” pills by the hundreds of the present day, if you’re looking for a shortcut to weight loss and good health, there are no shortage of vendors waiting to help you … for a small fee, of course.

Society has grown more savvy, though, in the age of technology, and consumers today are more suspicious of devices promising miraculous weight-loss results without real scientific backing or hard proof. The gadgets of yesteryear still have a market, but it is shrinking as we turn more to technological answers for our problems.

The Internet has been both a blessing and a curse to those seeking weight-loss helpers. While good information and counsel have become more accessible, it has also become far more difficult to distinguish the good from the bad. Anyone looking to make a quick buck can put up a Web site and make it look just as trustworthy and reputable as one backed by actual professionals.

Here are some of the better weight-loss helpers for both your home computer and your PC.

Weight Watchers: The biggest name in weight loss has gone online in a big way with Weight Watchers Online. You can choose to explore either the “Core” or “Flex” plans, and the site will help you keep track of your weight and track your progress.

That’s all fairly tame, but where the site truly shines is in the Recipe Builder and other food-related tools. Ever wonder how good or bad that favorite recipe of yours really is? You can use the recipe builder to find out how many “points” it will cost you per serving, giving you an idea of how hard it will hit your waistline. You can also tinker with the ingredients. For example, try swapping cooking spray for butter, and you’ll see the points value per serving drop.

There is also a fairly good-sized recipe library covering every meal of the day plus snacks and special occasion dishes. If you’re eating out, there’s a restaurant finder that will help you locate a diet-friendly spot. It’s limited to chain restaurants, though.

If you don’t want to put in your own recipes or try to find a complete meal’s worth on your own, there are plentiful meal suggestions that will do everything but go to the store and turn on the stove for you.

Exercise is covered, too, in the form of videos, plans and tips to keep you moving and stretching properly.

There is also a new on-the-go feature that will allow you to sync your PDA with your online program

Using this site will cost $65 for three months, but there’s a one-week free trial that will give you an idea of whether it’s for you.

Skyscape: Addicted to your PDA? It can become one of your most powerful weight-loss tools. Skyscape, a leader in mobile medical tools, is dipping its toes into the consumer application market with the Skyscape Food Guide.

Incorporating the FDA’s new Food Pyramid, this tool allows you to input your age, gender and physical activity level and get tips on what and how much to eat from each level of the pyramid.

If you’ve ever wished you could carry your diet guru with you, the Skyscape Food Guide is the next best thing. And, best of all, it’s free.

Drugs Online - Buy Drugs Online at reasanoble prices.DrugOnline.cc provides confortable and easy way to order drugs online including drugs free shipping.

eDiets: If you’re willing to part with a few dollars, eDiets has a mobile diet adviser program that will work with your Palm or Pocket PC. It has all the bells and whistles. One of the best is the food log, which allows you to quickly and easily enter your meals and snacks and keep an up-to-the-minute picture of your day’s consumption.

Anyone who’s ever kept a written food log knows that it’s easy to forget “little” things like that doughnut you ate in the conference room, that cappuccino you had in the afternoon or those appetizers you noshed at the company party. With your eDiets program in your hand, you can enter things as you consume them.

The software will also calculate the calories you burn in a day, compare them to what you’ve taken in and keep you apprised of your balance on any given day. You can also customize your plan based on what type of diet you’re following: low-calorie, low-carb, low-fat or a custom plan.

Speaking of low-carb plans, followers of the Atkins diet can use that program’s mobile carb counter to keep their intake documented.

Quite possibly the best of the bunch, though, both in terms of functionality and user-friendliness, is the Health & Diet Manager for Windows Pocket PC. It provides a great food tracking and entry interface, complete with a truly impressive database of fast-food and restaurant dishes you can select without having to hunt down their nutritional information.

You can also add whole meals to the database. If, for instance, you have a bagel with cream cheese and a glass of orange juice for breakfast every morning, you can set that up for easy entry every day.

The program tracks your body mass index, target heart rate and many other factors, and can help with managing glucose levels and insulin usage.

Weight Watchers users can also track their “Points” usage with the program. It doesn’t offer a lot in the way of exercise tracking, other than activity level measurements, but that’s more than made up for by the other features.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. As wireless and handheld PC devices become more popular and prevalent, and WiFi access becomes more widespread, expect to see “live” online diet counseling through your Blackberry, exercise coaches shouting at you through your Palm and personal chefs giving low-calorie cooking lessons on the screen of your Pocket PC.

Posted by toshko under Xenical News | Comments (0)

Planned weight loss won’t weaken older women

May 10, 2007

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Obese, postmenopausal age women who decide to trim down don’t need to worry that they will put themselves in danger of disability by doing so, even if they don’t exercise as recommended, a new study shows.

After losing a substantial amount of weight through diet, but without exercising, 23 obese women in their 50s showed no reduction in muscle strength or fitness, even though they had lost muscle mass, Dr. Jamehl Demons of the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

“There was a trend actually toward increasing physical fitness,” Demons told Reuters Health. “Our supposition is really that that was due to the weight loss itself.”

People lose muscle mass as they age, and some experts have been concerned that weight loss late in life may accelerate muscle loss and increase the risk of disability.

Discount Pharmacy - Buy Pharmacy at discount prices including free shipping.Discount Pharmacy provides confortable and easy way to order discount pharmacy online.

To investigate, Demons and her team had 23 obese women eat 400 calories less per day for five months. They lost an average of 11.6 kilograms (about 26 pounds), 35 percent of which was lean mass or muscle. After the weight loss, the women showed no change in their walking speed or muscle strength. Their aerobic fitness and speed in rising from a chair had improved, although the change wasn’t statistically significant.

Despite the findings, Demons said, exercising is recommended for older people who are trying to lose weight through dieting, because it will help them to preserve muscle mass and build fitness.

The question of whether unintentional weight loss will reduce strength among older women remains unanswered, she added.

SOURCE: American Geriatrics Society Annual Meeting, May 2007.

Posted by toshko under Xenical News | Comments (0)

Neurogen drug shows promise for 1st weight-loss pill

May 8, 2007

Branford biotechnology company Neurogen has successfully completed the first in a succession of tests that could ultimately yield a clinically useful weight-loss pill.

The proprietary molecule, called NGD-4715 was tested in 71 people and found to be well-tolerated and non-toxic, according to Neurogen president and chief executive officer William H. Koster.

Advertisement
Koster said NGD-4715 is the first drug of its type to gain a foothold in the federal regulatory process.

NGD-4715 is a small molecule that interferes with the brain’s system for controlling appetite.

Other substances, such as leptin and neuropeptide y, have also curbed cravings for food in animals, but were disappointing in human tests or never reached that stage.

Koster said NGD-4715 apparently regulates those and a complex chain of other substances that regulates food intake.

The potential drug has been shown to reduce appetite and weight in laboratory animals, but ensuring that it is safe for people is a long, arduous process.

Additional tests will be conducted in the end of the year to judge the safety and workings of the drug, Koster said.

Neurogen also expects to study the efficacy of the compound by the end of the year. If all goes well, the drug would then be subject to a large-scale test, the last step before federal approval.

NGD-4715 targets a melanin concentrating hormone receptor (MCHR1) in the brain. The hormone was discovered in the late 1990s to regulate coloration in fish.

“In mammals, it appears to regulate caloric intake,” Koster said.

In previous research, bioengineered mice with the receptor knocked out became extremely lean, while other mice designed to over produce the hormone became obese, he said.

MCH receptors are concentrated in a structure in the brain called the hypothalamus, which regulates body temperature, blood pressure, weight and many other functions.

Drugs Online - Buy Drugs Online at reasanoble prices.DrugOnline.cc provides confortable and easy way to order drugs online including drugs free shipping.

While mice have only one type of melanin concentrating hormone receptor, dogs and humans have two. The neurogen molecule was designed to block only MCHR1. That appears sufficient to dull appetite, Koster said.

“In November 2004, Neurogen showed that blocking MCHR1 in dogs reduced their food intake,” he said.

After blocking the MCHR1, about 10 days elapse before statistically significant weight loss starts, Koster said. Animals on NGD-4715 consume 10 to 20 percent less food.

This is good, Koster said, because severe, rapid and uncontrollable weight loss is undesirable.

Koster said Neurogen also conducted experiments to rule out the possibility that environmental factors, rather than NGD-4715, were responsible for the canine weight loss.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires drugs to prove themselves in three types of studies before they are considered for approval.

In the phase one study, which Neurogen just completed, a single, ascending dose is given to see if the drug is safe. A multiple dose ascending study will also be performed as part of phase one, Koster said.

Phase two is generally designed to show whether the drug in question is effective. Finally, phase three is a large study of the drug to check for side effects and other unexpected results.

So far, appetite suppressing drug candidates produced by other companies have also altered ion channels in the heart, which increases the risk of irregular heart beats.

NGD-4715 has already been tested to make sure it has no effect on heart muscle, Koster said.

Currently about two-thirds of adults in the United States are considered overweight.

Posted by toshko under Xenical News | Comments (0)