There might be light at the end of the tunnel for Orexigen Therapeutics yet with their weight loss drug, Contrave. Having been rejected for approval in February, the Food and Drug Administration in the States has said that they will reconsider the approval of the drug if a clinical trial can prove that the drug is not linked with cardiovascular problems. In previous trials, increases in blood pressure and pulse rates were noted.
The company is confident that they will pull this off and proceed with the trial trial despite the possibility that the trial could last a number of years. Both ingredients in Contrave are available separately on the market: bupropion and naltrexone. These drugs serve to increase the levels of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. Both drugs in combination quell the appetite and cause the body’s metabolism to speed up.
Previous trials have shown that 50% of those taking the drug were able to lose 5% of their original body weight over the period of one year and this was compared to 10% from a placebo control group which managed the same degree of weight loss.