I know that many chronic obese people rely on Weight loss drugs to control their weight. No doubt despite the side effects, some people have really tried everything to natuarally lose weight, but to no avail. With a doctor’s advice, they resort to medication. These naturally come with side effects, and sometimes are not even effective in the long term. Hence, we find many studies on going to find better drugs with fewer side effects….here’s the latest.

Corcept Therapeutics in February announced additional positive results from a clinical study that tested whether Corlux® mitigates the weight gain and other metabolic effects associated with Risperdal®. The company previously announced top-line data demonstrating that adding Corlux to Risperdal treatment in healthy subjects resulted in a statistically significant reduction in weight gain compared to that seen in subjects receiving Risperdal alone.

Analysis of key secondary endpoints demonstrates that the addition of Corlux to Risperdal also results in less abdominal fat, lower fasting insulin levels, and lower triglyceride levels–all of which were statistically significant compared to treatment with Risperdal alone. Risperdal, a leading antipsychotic for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, is marketed by Johnson & Johnson.

Corlux is Corcept’s late-stage GR-II receptor antagonist, which the company is also evaluating in ongoing Phase III trials for psychotic depression and Cushing’s Syndrome. The results from this study confirmed results previously reported from a similar clinical study of Corlux when added to treatment with Zyprexa, which demonstrated statistically significant mitigation of Zyprexa-associated weight gain, as well as a favorable impact on metabolic markers.

The new study was a four-week randomized double-blind controlled trial in 75 lean, healthy men (body mass index of 23 or less). Subjects were randomized to receive either Risperdal plus placebo (n=30), Risperdal plus Corlux (n=30), or Corlux plus placebo (n=15).

Daily weights were recorded, as well as abdominal fat (as measured by waist circumference), fasting insulin, and triglycerides. Subjects in the Risperdal alone group gained an average of 9.2 pounds, compared to a gain of 5.1 pounds in the Risperdal plus Corlux group. The increase in abdominal fat was 3.57 cm in the Risperdal alone group, compared to 2.03 cm in the Risperdal plus Corlux group. Fasting insulin increased by 10.97 mU/L in the Risperdal alone group, compared to 1.80 mU/L in the Risperdal plus Corlux group. In addition, triglycerides increased by 30.57 mg/dL in the Risperdal alone group, compared to an increase of only 3.13 mg/dL in the Risperdal plus Corlux group.

Source: Marketwire 2/23/09

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