Meridia: The New Anti- Obesity Drug :: Diet Pills Health Obesity Essays

Meridia: The New Anti- Obesity Drug Introduction In today’s society the hegemonic belief surrounding weight is that thin is in and fat is out. With over half of the American population being overweight, the diet craze has swept the nation. However, a bigger player has come into the weight loss scene, the pharmaceutical industry. After the abrupt withdrawal of two anti- obesity drugs from the market in 1997, the pharmaceutical industry has been looking to fill the void in this area of the market. Meridia (sibutramine hydrochloric monohydrate), manufactured by Knoll Pharmaceutical Co, enters with caution what now appears to be a virtually deserted and uncertain anti- obesity market. The drug works to suppress appetite via serotonin (and norepinephrine) re-uptake inhibition. How Does Meridia Work? In the fall of 1997, fenfluramine (the fen half of the popular fen-phen drug combination) and Redux (dexfenfluramine) were recalled after the drugs were linked to potentially fatal heart valve abnormalities. In November of 1997, only a few months after the withdrawal of fenfluramine and Redux, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved Meridia. Meridia is a class of drug known as monoamine (serotonin and norepinephrine) re-uptake inhibitors. It falls in the same class of many anti- depressants such as Prozac. Serotonin is a chemical released in the brain after you have eaten a meal, which makes you feel full. When a nerve impulse reaches the end of the nerve (the nerve terminal), the impulse causes the release of chemicals called neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitters are released in the space between the two adjacent neurons, this region is called the synaptic cleft. Usually once the neurotransmitters have bound to their receptors (the neurotransmitter and the recept or fit like a lock and a key) on the adjacent nerve, transport proteins work to reabsorb the extra neurotransmitter back into the nerve terminal so that they can be reused. However, Meridia acts to inhibit the reabsorption of serotonin so the that signal lasts longer, thus giving the sensation that you are full for a longer period of time. This method is thought to effectively reduce the caloric intake of an obese individual due to appetite suppression. For an informational video on the mechanism of action for Meridia visit the world wide web at www.4meridia.com/hcprof/fma.htm. How is Meridia Different from the Recalled Drugs?