Vertigo drug could treat obesity
| Published: 24th February 2007 15:38 |
Vertigo drug could treat obesity
A new drug could help obese people lose weight and may be approved for such use within three years.
Betahistine is currently used to treat vertigo but an Israeli-based expert believes it could also be used to treat overweight people by enabling them to lose around four pounds a week. The other advantage is that as the drug is already on the market it could be fast-tracked for use amongst obese patients.
"This drug is significantly more effective at helping people to lose weight then anything else on the market at present," explained Dr Ami Eyal, medical director of Obecure, the company developing the pill.
He added: "The great thing is that this drug has been around since the Sixties and there are no significant side-effects from taking it. It has already been used by 130 million people for vertigo - it is licensed in the UK for this - so we know it is safe."
Betahistine works on a part of brain known as the histamine receptor and it could help to suppress appetite levels. Initial trials reveal that the pill could lead to significant weight loss for those taking it and could play a key role in tackling the growing problem of obesity in kids and parents across the UK.
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