To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: ECO: Xenical (Orlistat) Improves Cholesterol Profile Independent Of Total Weight Loss URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/1D3572.htm Doctor's Guide May 24, 2000
ANTWERP, BELGIUM -- May 24, 2000 -- Two new studies demonstrate that the prescription weight loss medication Xenical® (orlistat) reduces elevated total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, independent of the weight loss seen in overweight patients. The studies were presented at the 10th European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Antwerp, Belgium. "In addition to helping overweight and obese people lose weight, we now have additional confirmation that Xenical provides added cardiovascular benefits beyond that which can be achieved and maintained through diet alone," said Professor Erik Muls, Internal Medicine, Department of Endocrinology, Catholic University of Leuven and the lead investigator in one of the studies. Data from the study Efficacy of Orlistat Treatment in Obese Patients with Hypercholesterolemia demonstrated that treatment with Xenical produced significant reductions in both total and LDL-cholesterol. The total cholesterol reduction seen with Xenical was more than triple that of placebo (11.9 per cent reduction versus 4 per cent with placebo). When LDL-cholesterol was measured Xenical achieved double the reduction of placebo (17.6 per cent reduction versus 7.6 per cent with placebo). These results come at a significant time for Canadians. An update to the Canadian cholesterol treatment guidelines published last week in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) recommended more aggressive cholesterol lowering to prevent cardiovascular disease. The guidelines reflect numerous studies that have consistently demonstrated that lowering LDL or "bad" cholesterol resulted in a prompt and significant decrease in major coronary events and total mortality. In addition to its cholesterol lowering effects, patients taking Xenical with a reduced calorie diet also experienced significantly greater weight loss than those taking a placebo with a reduced calorie diet. Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in tissues and the bloodstream. The body produces most of its own cholesterol in the liver cells, but cholesterol can also be absorbed into the body through fatty foods. The impact of Xenical on cholesterol reduction is likely due to its ability to inhibit the absorption of 30 per cent of all ingested dietary fat. The second study, Role of Orlistat in the Treatment of Obese Patients with Hypercholesterolaemia, also confirmed that Xenical produced significantly greater reductions in obese patients in total and LDL-cholesterol as well as greater weight loss than with placebo. Another study published in this month's Archives of Internal Medicine demonstrated that Xenical was also effective at improving glucose tolerance and serum insulin levels, reducing the likelihood that obese patients would develop type II diabetes. The lowering of serum insulin levels observed may be important since earlier studies have linked fasting serum insulin levels to ischemic heart disease risk, insulin resistance and obesity-related hypertension. In another clinical trial involving patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes, 43 per cent of those who lost weight with Xenical were able to reduce the amount of medication they took for their diabetes, and 11 per cent were able to discontinue it completely. As demonstrated in the largest and longest clinical trial program of any weight loss medication, Xenical has proven to be a safe and effective weight loss treatment for overweight and obese patients. It is the only medication in Canada indicated for weight loss and weight maintenance. Unlike other anti- obesity medications that work in the brain or nervous system to suppress appetite, Xenical is a safe non-systemically acting medication that works specifically in the digestive tract to prevent the absorption of approximately 30 per cent of dietary fat. Approximately six million patients worldwide have taken Xenical to date. Roche Canada is a Mississauga-based pharmaceutical company with over 500 employees across the country. The company is dedicated to the research and development of innovative medicines to help treat human illness. In addition to obesity, Roche is active in a wide range of therapeutic areas including HIV/AIDS, cardiology, dermatology, infectious diseases, rheumatology, biological response modifiers, endocrinology, oncology and virology. Related Link: Xenical (orlistat). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. 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