20 Dec Centrally-Acting Obesity Medications May Have Significant Side Effects

Posted at 23:49h in Author Interviews, BMJ, Weight Research by

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Igho Onakpoya MD MSc University of Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences Oxford UK

Dr. Igho Onakpoya

Igho Onakpoya MD MSc
University of Oxford
Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences
Oxford UK

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: Several medicines used to treat obesity have been withdrawn from the market over the last few years. However, the reasons for, and time trends about their withdrawals have not been systematically researched.

We identified 25 anti-obesity medicines withdrawn from the market over the last 50 years. 23 of these analogues of amphetamine or fenfluramine, i.e., neurotransmitters.

The reasons for withdrawal in the overwhelming majority of instances were cardiovascular or psychiatric adverse reactions, and drug abuse and dependence.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: The use of medicines with centrally-acting mechanisms of action to treat obesity put patients at increased risks of serious unwanted effects.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: Greater transparency in the reporting of harms in clinical trials of medicines intended to be used for obesity treatment should be encouraged.

MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Response: The use of centrally-acting medicines to treat obesity is associated with unfavourable benefit-to-harm balance.

We should therefore re-think the use of this class of agents for obesity management.

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Citation:

Post-marketing withdrawal of anti-obesity medicinal products because of adverse drug reactions: a systematic review
Igho J. Onakpoya, Carl J. Heneghan and Jeffrey K. Aronson
BMC Medicine201614:191
DOI: 10.1186/s12916-016-0735-y
Published: 29 November 2016

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Last Updated on December 21, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

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