CHLOROCITRIC ACID WEIGHT REDUCTION EFFECT

CHLOROCITRIC ACID WEIGHT REDUCTION EFFECT seen in Hoffmann-LaRoche/Columbia University study, Dr. Ann Sullivan of Roche said at a Feb. 18 FDA seminar on "New Directions in Pharmacological Treatment of Obesity." Sullivan stated: "We saw a reduction in the rate of gain or a stablization, and some patients actually reduced body weight." The study was a pilot trial involving seven obese men, each of which received a chlorocitric acid and a placebo sequence. During the control sequence, the subjects gained an average five pounds during seven days of placebo treatment. When administered 300 mg TID of chlorocitric acid, the subjects had a reduction in body weight. Sullivan remarked that chlorocitric acid's action as a peripherally acting appetite suppressant suggests that "we may be able to modify food intake in man, by intervening with peripheral signals rather than by going directly to central signals." Sullivan also noted that chlorocitric acid inhibits gastric emptying and in low doses synergizes with a compound, CCK-8, which has also shown effectiveness in appetite control. In Sullivan's presentation, she suggested new approaches to treating obesity by using peripherally acting anorectic drugs, which circumvent the compensatory systems that maintain body fat levels. She also reviewed present treatments, such as diet restriction, exercise and surgery, which have shown limited effectiveness. Sullivan stressed the fact that obesity is a major health problem in the U.S. and in Europe, and that the condition causes serious health risks. Another compound being studied for weight reduction, the beta agonist BRL 26830A, was evaluated in a six week study by Zed, et al. Thirteen obese patients were divided between a control and a drug group and were given formula diets of approximately 1200 K cals less than their average starting energy expenditure. After the six weeks, the placebo group lost 6.6 kilos and the BRL group lost 9.3 kilos, which was a reduction of about a pound per week. The compound also prevented a fall in the metabolic rate, which usually occurs when patients lose weight, Sullivan remarked. Sullivan discussed the potential of THL, an irreversible inhibitor of pancreatic lipase. THL was studied in diet-induced rats for a 22 day period. Fat absorption was measured at eight to 11 day and 19 to 22 day intervals. THL produced a market suppression in lipid absorption; the rats excreted 80-90% of their calories. Even though the THL treated rats attempted to compensate for these calories by overeating, there was a consistent fall in their rate of weight gain, Sullivan said. A lowering in cholestrol levels was also seen. The role of serotonin uptake inhibitors in weight reduction, and their possible action as thermogenic agents, was also discussed. In some studies, serotonin uptake inhibitors produced a weight loss of about half a pound per week over placebo, Sullivan said. Robins has a serotonin uptake inhibitor for weight reduction on the market, Pondimin (fenfluramine). Lilly also has an NDA pending for its serotonin uptake inhibitor Prozac (fluoxetine) as an antidepressant, and has said that a weight reduction effect has been observed in clinicals.