New Prescription Drug for Weight Loss Soon to be Available in Europe

What is Mysimba?

Mysimba is a combination of two drugs that are already prescribed for addictive disorders including smoking and alcohol abuse. Bulperion is a prescription medication that is used for depression and for giving up smoking. It appears to increase the dopamine levels in the brain and this in turn leads to reduced appetite as well as helping the body use more energy.

Previously, scientists had observed that people taking Bulperion to give up smoking, initially lost weight as well but that this effect tended to stop, once the patients became accustomed to use.

The addition of Naltrexone, a drug used to treat addictions such as drug and alcohol abuse is believed to help this weight loss continue, and makes foods, especially sweet foods, taste less palatable.

Scientists believed that this combination of the two drugs would be effective for weight loss and throughout extensive clinical trials, this theory has been proven.

Two 56-week clinical trials showed that on average over 58% of users lost significantly more weight than the placebo group. One test carried out on a group suffering from diabetes proved similarly effective results.

Can I buy Mysimba?

At the moment, Mysimba is not licensed so it is not yet available. However once this has been passed it will be available from some doctors. It will be only available by prescription – you will not be able to buy it over the counter.

It will be a treatment option if you have a BM1 (body mass index) of 27 or over and have weight loss complications such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol or other weight related issues.

You will also have to keep to a behaviour modification and diet and exercise over the course of the treatment.

Are There Any Side Effects?

According to Orexigen, side effects are rare. Over the entire clinical trial period, only two patients suffered adverse effects and these may have been caused by underlying health conditions. However, mild side effects included nausea, headaches and constipation may occur.

So is Mysimba the treatment that we have all been waiting for?

It is too early to say at present but it looks promising.
Prescription weight loss treatments are rare. The best known is Orlistat, which is currently available by prescription, and many people have lost weight successfully by taking this particular drug.

What looks good about Mysimba is that it does not come with the same associated side effects as Orlistat. In addition, the two drugs that compose Mysimba are already considered well tolerated, effective and safe.

This last point is crucial. After all if your doctor is going to prescribe a drug, you need to know it is safe.