Is a new slimming pill on the horizon?
A new slimming pill could help millions fight middle-age spread, a major study found in August.
Scientists said lorcaserin – labelled the ‘holy grail’ of weight management – is three times more effective than dieting alone.
The twice-a-day tablets boost the brain cells that control appetite, which can become less effective with age.
A US trial of 12,000 overweight people found those taking the drug lost an average of 9lbs 3oz in the first year – triple the 3lbs lost by those who relied on weight-loss advice alone – and kept the weight off for at least the three years of the study.
Crucially, lorcaserin was also shown to be safe long-term.
Another drug, liraglutide, is also in development for weight loss in the form of a pill.
It is currently used in the UK to treat type 2 diabetes under the name Victoza by the company Novo Nordisk, administered as an injection.
Research by the University of California, San Diego, discovered an average of 63 per cent of participants given liraglutide had at least five per cent weight loss over a year, compared to 23 per cent of participants who had been given a placebo.
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