GLP‑1 news from 2004
2 dated, sourced GLP-1 developments from 2004: approvals, trial results, prices, lawsuits, compounding and culture.
- Research and trials
Orlistat reduced progression to type 2 diabetes over four years in the XENDOS trial
The four-year XENDOS trial of 3,305 adults with obesity found that orlistat 120 mg three times daily plus diet counseling produced 12.8 pounds of weight loss versus 6.6 pounds with placebo, and cut progression to type 2 diabetes from 9.0% to 6.2% (hazard ratio 0.63). The diabetes benefit was detected only in participants who started the trial with impaired glucose tolerance. Gastrointestinal side effects were reported by 91% of orlistat users in the first year, falling to 36% by year four.
- Competition
FDA banned ephedra in 2004, and bitter orange took its place in weight-loss pills
In 2004 the FDA banned ephedra from dietary supplements over serious heart effects, and weight-loss and bodybuilding products moved to bitter orange, whose compound synephrine is similar to ephedra. A randomized, placebo-controlled study of 10 healthy adults published in September 2005 found that one multi-component ephedra-free supplement raised systolic blood pressure by a peak of 9.6 mm Hg and diastolic by 9.1 mm Hg two hours after dosing, and increased heart rate by 16.7 beats per minute at six hours. The authors said the effects were similar to banned ephedra products and were probably not caused by bitter orange alone.