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Action on Smoking and Health
A National Legal-Action Antismoking Organization Entirely Supported by Tax-Deductible Contributions
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New Experimental Pill Will Help Quit Smoking and Lose Weight [11/10-5]
Excerpts from: New drug seen helping people lose weight and quit smoking
By AP [11/10/04]
An experimental pill made by Sanofi Aventis SA that offers the promise of helping people lose weight and quit smoking has gathered more momentum.
The biggest test yet of the drug Acomplia found that it helped people not only drop pounds but also keep them off for two years - longer than any other diet drug has been able to achieve. Cholesterol and other health measures improved, too.
The impressive results from a study of more than 3,000 obese people were presented at a medical conference yesterday, capping months of anticipation.
Doctors called the research exciting, and Sanofi Aventis, the French pharmaceutical giant that funded the study, says the drug could have blockbuster potential similar to cholesterol-lowering statin drugs.
Some people on the drug had nausea, but it usually was short-lived. Rates of anxiety and depression were no greater for those on Acomplia than those getting fake pills.
"The results are very encouraging," said Sidney C. Smith Jr., a University of North Carolina cardiologist who had no role in the study. "The safety profile looks good. It seems like people tolerate the medication."
“It reduces weight, helps in quitting smoking and brings cholesterol levels down."
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