Online Pharmacy Medicine Blog

Orexigen Therapeutics Inc. reports that the a mid-stage trial of Empatic met its goal of demonstrating significant weight loss.

This news comes at a great time. America is getting bigger by the day; roughly two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight, and almost one-third are obese.

Today, ABC News reported

An ongoing giant study of American nurses showed that only about 10 percent who made it to age 70 could be considered in top shape. Women who steadily gained weight from age 18 on ended up in the worst shape, the researchers said.

Most had some kind of physical or mental limitation, and more than a third had both chronic diseases and also mental or physical limitations.

Currently there are only a few options for weight loss aids deemed safe by the FDA: Meridia, Xenical, and Alli.

The good news is that results from the preliminary trails on Empatic look promising. Orexigen said

the 729-patient trial found that 60.4 percent of obese people given the highest dose of the drug lost at least 5 percent of their body weight, compared with 14.7 percent of patients given a placebo.

The 24-week trial also found that patients treated with Empatic had mean weight loss of 7.5 percent, compared with 1.4 percent for the placebo group — a percentage point difference of 6.1.

Empatic must still receive final approval by the FDA, but early estimates have it ready for market in 12 to 18 months.

The arrival of the H1N1 pandemic has everyone on edge and eagerly awaiting the new vaccination to fight against the new deadly strain of influenza. However many are debating if the new vaccination has been rushed to market to fast, and if safety has been overlooked in order to meet the demand of the public.

The new vaccine will be administered in two shots in addition to the regular flu shot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending pregnant women, people between 6 months and 24 years old and non-elderly individuals who have underlying conditions be vaccinated as soon as the shot becomes available in mid-October. Also, the CDC recommends people living in households with infants under 6 months of age should be immunized, because the infant is too young to be vaccinated.

But with the vaccination comes concerns, and rightfully so. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and a preliminary report published earlier this month by the New England Journal of Medicine,  45 percent of the 240 people vaccinated experienced mild-to-moderate side effects.

Also many parents are concerned that the vaccine contains thiomersal, a mercury-containing agent that preserves vaccines, but has been alleged to have a link to autism in children.

Only time will  tell whether the vaccine is truly affective and safe. Whether or not you choose the vaccine for yourself or your family, don’t forget the practical things you can do in your everyday routines recommended by the Center for Disease Control to help prevent catching and spreading H1N1 like:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.*
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
• Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Hopefully the H1N1 scare is more hype than fact, but remember, it is always better to error on the side of caution.