Until now, treatments prescribed by medical practitioners have shown consistent, but only perdere peso in modo graduale e sano potential which for many overweight and obese patients is not enough. Drugs like Xenical and Alli which are manufactured by Roche and GlaxoSmithKline respectively can help patients lose 5% of their total body weight in a 6 month period. For those with obesity associated medical complications such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, looking for fast results the two medications, which both contain the same active ingredient Orlistat, may not provide the ideal quick acting solution.
A new weight loss drug which promises to help people lose weight faster than ever before is currently being developed in the US by Zafgen, a small pharmaceutical company. The new drug known as ZGN-433 is in the early stages of testing, but has already shown some encouraging results. The weight loss pill branded a “miracle” cure is exactly what weight loss patients have long been waiting for as it promises to help to shed weight quickly with minimal effort.
The exact science behind the treatment developed by Zafgen has yet to be revealed, but it is believed to reduce insulin resistance, a naturally occurring chemical process which is directly linked to weight gain. Clinical trials involving 24 obese US women showed that ZGN-433 could help shift as much as 1kg every week without any extra effort on the part of the patient. This amount of weight loss induced by medication is unprecedented, and crucially is deemed to be safe. If approved for general release, ZGN-433 will become the most powerful weight loss drug on the market, topping the current number one weight loss drug Xenical Orlistat – but is ZGN-433 the answer?
Given the scale of the UK and US obesity problem any measure capable of helping the obese, morbidly obese and the super obese to control their weight will be welcomed. The problem with so called miracle cures is that they do nothing to address the issues causing the increase in weight problems such as insufficient exercise and poor diet. They also do little to equip patients with the tools required to maintain weight loss once the course of medications has been terminated.