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

Meridia The New Anti- Obesity Drug Introduction In todays society the hegemonic belief surrounding weight is that thin is in and complete is out. With over half of the American population being overweight, the diet passion has swept the nation. However, a bigger player has come into the weight handout scene, the pharmaceutical industry. After the abrupt withdrawal of 2 anti- obesity doses from the market place 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 outright 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 later on the drugs wer e 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) sanctioned Meridia. Meridia is a class of drug known as monoamine (serotonin and norepinephrine) re-uptake inhibitors. It locomote 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 generous. When a grimace impulse reaches the end of the nitty-gritty (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 demarcation to their receptors (the neurotransmitter and the receptor 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 switch off the caloric intake of an obese individual due to appetite suppression. For an informational delineation on the mechanism of action for Meridia visit the world wide meshing at www.4meridia.com/hcprof/fma.htm. How is Meridia Different from the Recalled Drugs?