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Thursday, July 12th, 2007
The pharmaceutical industry is playing its part in fighting the
UK's growing obesity problem with research into a wide range of
medicines to be used in conjunction with appropriate lifestyle changes,
according to a report published by the Association of the British
Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) today.
There are some 38 medicines in various stages of development that,
used in the context of an overall plan to change diet and exercise
patterns, can help tackle the growing and worrying problem of obesity.
Surveys have shown that a quarter of all women and 23 per cent of
men in the UK are obese, with two-thirds of men and 58 per cent
of women overweight. Being overweight is associated with a greater
risk of developing a number of diseases that may cause serious health
problems and significantly shorten lifespan.
"The pharmaceutical industry is very far from promoting medicines
as the only answer to obesity, but they can prove useful as part
of an appropriate care plan devised between doctor and patient,"
said Dr Richard Tiner, ABPI Medical Director.
"There are currently only three such medicines licensed in
the UK but, because the industry is aware of the increasing problem
and its consequences to the health of so many people in Britain,
it has been looking at how more and different medicines can be developed
to help tackle the condition."
The ABPI's report, Target Obesity, confirms that an effort to control
the problem is required sooner rather than later. It has been projected
that, within three years, about 6.6 million men and 6.0 million
women over the age of 16 will be obese - an increase of more than
3.5 million over the number in 2003. Some 1.7 million children will
also be obese by 2010.
The cost of treating the increased burden of obesity-related illnesses
was about £1,000 million in 2002, so this expected increase
is likely to have a severe economic, as well as health, impact.
While specific genes related to overweight have recently been identified,
the report emphasises they are 'susceptibility' genes that predispose
to the condition but do not cause it.
Medicines to combat obesity fall into several different types, including
those that:
- Inhibit receptors in the brain and other areas, including fat
cells, which play a role in energy balance, glucose and lipid
metabolism and body-weight regulation. Research into this class
of medicines is "currently quite vigorous", the booklet
reports.
- Block enzymes in the intestine that are responsible for fat
uptake from food, as well as those that use other approaches to
blocking fat absorption.
- Work on processes in the brain that may influence food intake
and energy expenditure.
- Act on signalling systems - for example, the stomach, intestine
and pancreas produce chemical signals that play an important part
in eating behaviour and energy regulation by the brain.
Overall, the report concludes that improved understanding of the
mechanisms of weight gain and loss has opened up a number of exciting
new approaches for the future. "The intensity of research in
this area is a cause for optimism that additional, better-tolerated
and more effective medicines for weight loss may be in sight,"
Target Obesity states.
Target Obesity has been written by Dr Stephen Bartlett. It can be
found on the ABPI website at www.abpi.org.uk
from later next week or by contacting the ABPI at 12 Whitehall,
London, SW1A 2DY; email publications@abpi.org.uk. Copies are free.
NOTE TO EDITORS
There is a range of guides in the Target series covering a wide
variety of diseases and conditions. For a comprehensive list, and
to view the other guides, please go to www.abpi.org.uk
For further information, please contact:
Richard Ley (work) 020 7747 1410 (mobile) 07715 169727
Matt Worrall (work) 020 7747 1441 (mobile) 07879 404306
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