Qnexa

Qnexa is an obesity drug that was until recently under review by the American FDA. It assists weight loss by affecting both your hunger and fullness, leading to beneficial changes to your eating behaviour. In clinical trials, Qnexa users were able to lose almost 15% of their overall body weight while taking a higher dose of the medication; those on a lower dose experienced an equally impressive loss of 8% loss; both in just over a year.

Qnexa was tested on 3,750 obese people: the average weight loss over 56 weeks was 14.7 % of their total body weight. One individual, who weighed 16st 9lb, dropped 4 and a half stone during the trial.

Is Qnexa a safe drug treatment?

Qnexa is what’s known as a smart drug, which means that it uses a combination of 2 existing medications, topiramate and phentermine. It was developed by US bio-pharmaceutical manufacturer Vivus. Phentermine has been used in a number of weight loss treatments since the 1960s. Topiramate, also known as Topamax, has been used in the past to treat epilepsy and has also been effective in promoting weight loss.

Qnexa is designed to counteract the 2 main mechanisms that impact on eating behaviour: appetite and satiety - feeling full. The combination of phentermine and topiramate has been seen to cause a higher level of weight loss than either of these medications has proven to achieve on their own. This combination has also been shown to be much better tolerated by users, much more so than when each medication has been prescribed separately.

Has Qnexa undergone clinical testing?

One main benefit for users of Qnexa is that it causes very few side effects. Safety concerns were raised initially over the ingredients used, because they had been linked to depression and potentially suicidal behaviour when used in other medications. However, the phase 3 tests showed that only 2% of people taking Qnexa experienced the symptoms of depression and this figure was closely matched by those tested who were experiencing symptoms when only taking a placebo in the same test. Furthermore, not a single report of suicidal behaviour was reported.

Qnexa has also been shown to promote a number of other important health benefits for the user. Qnexa may also be the first obesity therapy to focus on treating type 2 diabetes as well as weight loss. The FDA studies have shown Qnexa to produce a 1.2% reduction in haemoglobin HbA1C in addition to improving blood pressure, triglycerides and waist circumference.

Currently the FDA board feels that Qnexa’s benefits don’t outweigh its risks and therefore recommended against approval. The final ruling from the FDA is scheduled to take place next year. euroClinix will be posting regular updates detailing further developments as they take place. If you require further information on how similar obesity treatments already on the market can benefit you, take one of our free online consultations today. Currently the only approved prescription treatment available is Xenical, click here to find out more about this treatment.