Introduction
Weight loss is a goal that many people strive for, but it can be difficult to achieve. Fortunately, a new weight loss drug could be a game-changer. This new drug, called lorcaserin, has been approved by the FDA and is now available to help people lose weight. This drug works by targeting the brain’s serotonin receptors, which helps to reduce appetite and cravings. In addition, lorcaserin has been shown to be safe and effective in clinical trials. In this article, we will discuss how lorcaserin works, its potential benefits, and potential side effects. We will also provide tips on how to make the most of this new weight loss drug. So, if you’re looking for a new way to lose weight, this could be the game-changer you’ve been waiting for.
This New Weight Loss Drug Could be a “Game-Changer”
A new weight loss drug has been approved by the FDA and is being hailed as a potential “game-changer” in the fight against obesity. The drug, called lorcaserin, is the first new weight-loss drug to be approved in 13 years and is expected to be available in the United States by the end of the year.
Lorcaserin works by activating serotonin receptors in the brain, which helps to reduce appetite and cravings. It is intended for people who are overweight or obese and have at least one weight-related health condition, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol.
The drug is not a miracle cure, however. It is only effective when combined with a healthy diet and exercise. Studies have shown that people who take lorcaserin and follow a healthy lifestyle can lose up to 5 percent of their body weight in a year.
If you’re looking to lose weight, it’s important to remember that diet and exercise are still the best way to do it. But if you’re struggling to lose weight, this new drug could be a “game-changer” for you. Talk to your doctor to see if lorcaserin is right for you.
One of Dr. Jastreboff’s study participants, a 49-year-old mother of three with a full-time job (who did not want her name used), has been participating in a clinical trial at Yale that involves weekly injections to test a drug similar to semaglutide, called tirzepatide, that combines GLP-1 and another hormone called glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP). Dr. Jastreboff is the site principal investigator.
The participant had tried numerous diets and exercise plans to lose extra weight she’d carried for decades, but nothing worked. Even though she worked hard at maintaining a healthy lifestyle, she gained 25 pounds working at home during the pandemic. “But the rest of it, I’ve carried all my life,” she says.
Since it was a double-blind trial, in which some participants were given a placebo, at first she didn’t know if she was taking the drug, but says over a period of about a year, “the weight melted off of me.” Near the end of the trial, she had lost 85 pounds, so she believes she was taking the drug.
“It worked for me because my issue is mindlessly overeating. Because the drug often makes me feel incredibly full after just a few bites, it has been a real change to my eating habits,” the participant says. She used to consume 3,000 calories a day “easily,” and in the trial, she has been unable to take in more than 1,500. “One serving of Oreos is three cookies, and it was always a struggle to stop at three,” she says. “In the trial, I found it a real struggle to eat more than three.”
“These drugs [like semaglutide and tirzepatide] have the potential to help many more people,” says Artur Viana, MD, a Yale Medicine gastroenterologist and clinical director of the Metabolic Health & Weight Loss Program, where he has prescribed semaglutide. He notes that the performance of the drug—15% to 20% weight loss—is impressive because it signifies a trend in which anti-obesity medications are starting to approach the 25% to 30% weight loss mark that so far has only been achieved with bariatric surgery.
Medication treatment for obesity is less invasive and works more gradually than surgery. Patients typically start with a low dose of .25 milligrams and work up to the target dose of 2.4 milligrams over a period of about 5 months. “The weight loss is gradual, but tends to slow down with time, leading to a new plateau,” Dr. Viana says.
It can take more than a year for the drug to reach full effectiveness, although some patients hit their plateau earlier than that. For any anti-obesity medication, doctors want to see a benchmark of 5% total body weight loss in the first three months, which is a good predictor of whether the medication will continue to work, Dr. Viana explains.