UK News 04-09-2003 Drug Cure For Obesity who: Obesity expert Professor Stephen Bloom what: Announces successful preliminary test of appetite-suppressing hormone treatment for obese people where: Hammersmith Hospital, LONDON when: Yesterday snippet: "Scientists have discovered a hormone that curbs appetite and is lacking in overweight people," says The Mirror. "It means that within five years the obese could get daily injections to stop the urge to overeat." "The daily injection costs £20 a time but experts believe it will be vital in the battle to slash the £500million annual cost of treatment," says The Sun. "The hormone, code-named PYY3-36, is produced naturally in the gut in response to food and tells the brain when the appetite has been satisfied," explains The Independent`s health editor, Jeremy Laurance. 12 obese people and 12 slim people took part in tests at Hammersmith Hospital, funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council, where the volunteers were given a dose of the hormone infusion. Two hours later "they were allowed to eat as much as they liked of a buffet meal" - they all reported feeling less hungry and their food consumption was reduced on average by one-third. "In the UK, about a thousand people die prematurely every week from obesity and it isn`t very pleasant - you often develop heart disease or diabetes," says Professor Steve Bloom, of Imperial College London, who carried out the study. "All the benefits of modern medicine are cancelled out by the fact that we cannot control our appetites. Here at last it looks as if we`ve found a safe, effective treatment." In other health news, The Mirror reports that "brand name drugs for routine ailments are up to eight times more expensive than own label products doing the same job" according to a study by Which?, the Consumers` Association magazine. [... more]

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