Tesofensine acts by inhibiting the reuptake of the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain structures responsible for appetite. Its effect is achieved by suppressing hunger and fast satiety when eating. Tesopensine was originally developed to treat Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, but scientists have paid attention to its ability to induce weight loss.
The study, led by Arne Astrup, involved 203 obese patients with an average weight of just over a hundred kilograms. All patients were prescribed a diet and 1 tablet daily for 6 months. Approximately equal numbers of people received either one of three doses of tesofensine or a placebo.
Six months later, it turned out that the participants, lost an average of 2,2 kg. People who took 0,25 mg, 0,5 mg, and 1,0 mg of tesofenzine lost 6,7 kg, 11,3 kg and 12,8 kg, respectively. The latter two are roughly twice the effect of modern weight-loss drugs sibutramine and rimonabant.
Phase III clinical trials of the drug will start in the near future. If successful, the drug tesofensin could hit the market in a few years.
A source:
with reference to