Xenical, the weight-loss drug made by Swiss healthcare group Roche, is better than diet and exercise alone in helping obese teenagers shed excess pounds, researchers said on Wednesday.
Professor Jean-Pierre Chanoine, of the British Columbia Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, Canada, told the 13th European Congress on Obesity that the drug could help adolescents struggling with a weight problem.
“The medication is safe and there were no major side effects,” he said in an interview.
The drug, which works by hindering the body’s ability to absorb fat, was launched in 1998 as a breakthrough treatment for overweight and obese adults.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Xenical for prescription weight loss by obese youngsters aged 12-16 late last year.
Obesity is measured by body mass index (BMI).
Side effects not a problem
At least 155 million children and teenagers worldwide are overweight or obese. Poor eating habits, a decrease in exercise and too many hours in front of television or computer screens are commonly blamed.
In the one-year study, sponsored by Roche, of 539 obese youngsters aged 12-16 in 32 centers in North America, children taking the drug had a reduced BMI compared to those following a low calorie diet and increased exercise and behavioral therapy.
They also had a bigger decrease in waist circumference, a decline of 2.39 percent compared to 0.87 percent, and a greater reduction in fat mass.
“Waist circumference is important because it is a marker of co-morbidities, or complications, in these children,” Chanoine added.
Excess weight in adolescence can lead to an increased risk of high blood pressure, raised cholesterol and Type 2 diabetes. Obesity is also a serious risk factor for heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, respiratory problems and certain types of cancer later in life.
Twenty-seven percent of the children taking Xenical achieved a five percent decrease and 16 percent managed a 10 percent drop in BMI, compared to 13.3 and 4.5 percent in the other group.
Although the drug had been billed as a blockbuster when it was launched, some patients have been put off by side effects. Eating a high-fat meal can cause diarrhea. But Chanoine said it was not a major problem for the adolescents in the study.
Worldwide sales of the drug fell 13 percent last year to $485.5 million.
About 2,500 doctors, scientists and public health experts are attending the four-day conference.
