Does Naltrexone plus Bupropion Help Pare Off Pounds?

Compared with placebo, the drug combination was associated with substantially greater weight loss.

As part of the ongoing effort to find an effective treatment for obesity, investigators tested a fixed combination of naltrexone (an opioid antagonist) plus bupropion (a smoking-cessation aid and antidepressant) in an industry-sponsored phase 3 trial involving 1742 adults (age range, 18–65; mean body-mass index [BMI] at enrollment, 36 kg/m²; 85% women). Participants were randomized to receive combined naltrexone (16 mg or 32 mg daily) plus bupropion (360 mg daily) or placebo for 56 weeks. The study was sponsored by the pharmaceutical company that combined the two medications into a sustained-release formulation; both drugs are available separately as generics.

Among the 50% of participants who completed the study, those in the high-dose nalt…

Reviewing Author

Anna Wald, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardAicuris; Bayer; GSK; Innovative Molecules; Merck; MAPP Biopharmaceutical (Safety Monitoring Committee)

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Grant/Research SupportNIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; GSK; Moderna; Assembly Biomedical; Aicuris

Editorial BoardsSexually Transmitted Diseases; Sexually Transmitted Infections; Journal of Infectious Diseases

Leadership PositionsID Division Chiefs Community of Practice (At-Large Member)