The promising weight-loss drug fails to deliver results

If you were hoping for the perfect weight loss pill, you have a disappointment knocking on your door.

The promising weight-loss drug failed to bring results in human trials and its production has been aborted.
MK-0557, the promising drug, was supposed to focus on the "hunger-stimulating factor" that has been though of as a potential target for anti-obesity therapy. Although the drug was well tolerated by the obese, it showed little results.

Over a 12-month study, people who took the drug managed to lose an average of 7.5 pounds while people from the placebo an average of 4 pounds.

The weight these patients lost is statistically significant amount but not clinically and it would have no commercial viability for a drug company.

The drug managed to block the receptors in both animals and humans but it failed to cause weight loss in humans while the animals lost weight. The scientists think that the receptor targeted was not be the main pathway in regulating food intake or that there are more pathways were they would be compensating one another.

It seems that drugs are not the right answer to all and for the time being diet and exercise still remain the best prescription for dropping pounds.