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New Diet Pill Wins FDA Panel's Backing
Posted 8 Dec 2010 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Dec. 7 – An expert advisory panel recommended on Tuesday that Contrave, a new weight-loss pill that combines an antidepressant with an anti-addiction medication, be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The 13-7 vote in favor of Contrave came amid agency concerns that the drug might raise blood pressure in some patients and increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes among some users, according to the Associated Press. But panelists voted 11-8 earlier in the day that those potential health risks could be studied after Contrave was approved. The FDA does not have to follow the advice of its advisory committees, but it typically does. The agency is expected to make a decision on Contrave by Jan. 31, the wire service reported. Contrave is manufactured by Orexigen Therapeutics Inc. In October, the FDA voted against approving two other weight-loss drugs, Arena ... Read more
Related support groups: Obesity, Bupropion, Naltrexone
FDA Approves Vivitrol to Treat Opioid-dependent Patients
Posted 13 Oct 2010 by Drugs.com
ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 12, 2010--The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Vivitrol to treat and prevent relapse after patients with opioid dependence have undergone detoxification treatment. Vivitrol is an extended-release formulation of naltrexone administered by intramuscular injection once a month. Naltrexone works to block opioid receptors in the brain. It blocks the effects of drugs like morphine, heroin, and other opioids. It was approved to treat alcohol dependence in 2006. "Addiction is a serious problem in this country, and can have devastating effects on individuals who are drug-dependent, and on their family members and society," said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "This drug approval represents a significant advancement in addiction treatment." The safety and efficacy of Vivitrol were studied for six months, ... Read more
Related support groups: Opiate Dependence, Naltrexone, Vivitrol
Combination Treatment May Help Depressed Alcoholics
Posted 15 Mar 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, March 15 – Combined treatment with the antidepressant Zoloft (sertraline) and the alcoholism drug naltrexone improves the likelihood that people with both major depression and alcohol dependence will be able to stop drinking, U.S. researchers report. Their 14-week study of 170 patients found that 54 percent of those who received the combined treatment were able to stop drinking, compared with 21 to 28 percent for patients who received a placebo, Zoloft only, or naltrexone only. The patients who received the combined treatment also went for a longer period of time before they started drinking again – 61 days compared with 15 days for patients in the other groups. The findings may prove an important advance in the treatment of patients with alcohol dependence and depression, said the University of Pennsylvania researchers. "When depression and alcohol dependence occur together, ... Read more
Related support groups: Zoloft, Naltrexone, Alcohol Dependence, Alcoholism, Vivitrol, Revia
Addiction Meds May Help Gamblers
Posted 10 Dec 2009 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Dec. 10 – Drugs used to treat substance addictions could prove effective in treating pathological gambling, U.S. researchers say. They tested medications designed to decrease urges and increase inhibitions in two groups of male and female pathological gamblers: those driven by urge (they gamble when the desire becomes too strong to control) and those who don't have normal inhibition of impulsive behaviors (they're unable to control the desire to gamble even when the urges are minimal or nonexistent). The first group – those driven by urge – responded well to medications that block the brain opioid system (such as naltrexone) or certain receptors for the neurotransmitter glutamate (such as memantine). Gamblers with a family history of the problem responded especially well to the opioid blocker, the study found. The second group – those unable to control any impulse to ... Read more
Related support groups: Naltrexone, Namenda, Vivitrol, Revia, Memantine
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Opiate Dependence, Alcohol Dependence, Trichotillomania, Fibromyalgia