BETHESDA, Md. (June 7, 2007) -- The synthetic form of a hormone previously found to produce a feeling of fullness when eating and reduce body weight, also may help curb binge eating and the desire to eat high-fat foods and sweets. The findings on fast food consumption and binge eating tendencies are based on a 6-week research study of 88 obese individuals.
The research, entitled Pramlintide treatment reduces 24-hour caloric intake and meal sizes and improves control of eating in obese subjects, appears in the online edition of the American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism. Pramlintide is the synthetic form of amylin, a satiety hormone produced by the beta cells of the pancreas, which also produce insulin.
Satiety hormones are commonly thought to control food intake by signaling to the brain when we are full, said Christian Weyer, M.D., the studys senior author and executive director of clinical research at Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., in San Diego, Calif. The findings of our clinical study further suggest that satiety hormones such as amylin can exert multiple effects on human eating behavior, such as reduced intake of highly-palatable foods and reduced binge eating tendency.
Pramlintide is marketed in the U.S. by Amylin Pharmaceuticals, under the brand name Symlin, to treat diabetes and control blood sugar. Amylin is one of several hormones secreted when eating and is known to work in partnership with insulin to regulate blood sugar. Pramlintide is also under development as a potential drug for obesity.
The study was carried out in 10 U.S. research sites and was reported by Steven R. Smith of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La.; John E. Blundell of the University of Leeds, United Kingdom; and Colleen Burns, Cinzia Ellero, Brock E. Schroeder, Nicole C. Kesty, Kim Chen, Amy E. Halseth, Cameron W. Lush and Christian Weyer, all of Amylin Pharmaceuticals.
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Contact: Christine Guilfoy
cguilfoy@the-aps.org
301-634-7253
American Physiological Society
7-Jun-2007