מתוך medicontext.co.il
LONDON (Reuters Health) – Abbott's anti-obesity drug sibutramine (Reductil) is "difficult to recommend," according to a review in the UK's Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin.
The bulletin–an independent review distributed to doctors by the Consumers' Association–says the drug reduces body weight by 5% to 7% when combined with dietary advice.
However, the report states that the weight is quickly regained after sibutramine is stopped and notes that unwanted drug effects can include increased heart rate and blood pressure, both of which need to be monitored.
"Sibutramine also has the potential to interact with drugs that affect cytochrome P450 3A4 and those that increase serotonin levels," the report states. "The drug is contraindicated in several conditions that often accompany obesity, such as coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure and blood pressure higher than 145/90mmHg."
Under the headline "Is sibutramine more than a slim hope?," the report concludes: "The many contraindications, potential drug interactions and stringent requirements for monitoring make sibutramine difficult and impractical to use. Adding to this the limited potential benefit and that some of the pivotal evidence comes from trials that have serious limitations, we find it difficult to recommend the drug's use."
But Dr Ian Campbell, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, a group of 600 family doctors interested in obesity, told Reuters Health that the article was misleading.
"It is very erroneous to say that maintaining patients on the drug is difficult. Any doctor who is qualified is perfectly able to monitor a drug like sibutramine," he said.
Dr. Campbell, a family doctor from Nottingham, added that the drug could be highly effective in the right patients and noted that there are important medical benefits from achieving weight loss in excess of 5%.
Abbott's UK unit, which began marketing sibutramine in May, said in a statement that the bulletin "clearly does not reflect the significant health benefit of 5-10% weight loss and the proven efficacy of sibutramine."
The firm added that the National Institute of Clinical Excellence and the Health Technology Assessment Board of Scotland recently "have issued positive guidance supporting the use of sibutramine and outlining the benefits of achieving a 5-10% weight reduction."
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