New York: Treatment with pramlintide, which is approved in the US for lowering blood sugar in people with diabetes, leads to progressive weight loss in obese subjects, according to researchers.

Pramlintide, sold in the United States under the trade name Symlin, is a synthetic version of a natural hormone calledamylin that slows down gastric emptying, thereby increasing the sensation of satiety and reducing food intake.

Dr. ChristianWeyer, the senior investigator on the current study, told Reuters Health that the results "are the most robust clinical proof-of-concept reported to date for the anti-obesity potential of a satiogenic peptide hormone."

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In the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Dr. Weyer of Amylin Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, and colleagues note that the agent has been effective in reducing blood sugarlevels and weight in type 2 diabetics.

To determine whether it might also be of use as ananti obesity aid, the researchers studied 204 subjects with abody mass index (BMI) of 37.8.

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A BMI over 30 is classified as obese. The participants were randomly assigned to get pramlintide or an inactive placebo, both injected three times aday before meals.

Compared with patients given the placebo, those receiving pramlintide and who completed the 16-week study had a reductionin body weight of 3.7 kilograms and a 3.6-centimeter drop inwaist circumference.

About 31 percent of the pramlintide treatment group achieved a weight loss of 5 percent or more, compared to only 2percent of placebo patients.

Improvements in appetite control were reported by 72 percent of the pramlintide group and 31 percent of placebo patients.

In addition, 52 percent of the pramlintide group said that their well-being had improved, whereas only 17 percent of placebo patients said so.Given these findings, continued Weyer, "further evaluationof pramlintide as a potential treatment for obesity is warranted."

He added, "Several clinical studies are currently underway, in which pramlintide is being evaluated in combination therapy, either with approved oral weight loss medications, or with other neuro hormones."

Source: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism