Written by Stuart Stevens | Thursday, 27 September 2007
A possible new weight loss medication being developed in Israel at Tel Aviv University Sackler School of Medicine has just undergone phase two clinical evaluation in America. The results are looking good as it was seen that women below the age of 50 who took the medication for three months shed seven times more weight than those who were only using a placebo pill.

The new medication is not actually new at all! It is a drug called Betahistine that has been on the market around the world for the last 30 years. Betahistine was previously used to help people who suffered from vertigo and a much reduced appetite was only considered to be a side effect. This does mean that the drug has been extensively tested already and that many things are known about it, so clinical testing for weight loss is unlikely to bring up any new complications. Betahistine has already been used by over 100 million individuals around the world who suffer from dizziness or vertigo.
The new formulation of Betahistine to treat weight loss is called Histalean and the research is being funded by the drug company Obecure. The drug is thought to control appetite by blocking the receptors in the brain that control the desire to eat and the feeling of being full. The medication is said to be particularly effective with women.
The financial market for weight loss medication is vast and many companies are investing heavily in products that they hope will be approved for safety and effectiveness by the relevant drug authorities around the world. The company Obecure has still a lot more work to do if it wants full approval from the Food & Drug Administration of the United States and also the EMEA in the European Union.
Ukmedix News will be looking out for any new developments on this weight loss drug.