'Wonder pill' for fat smokers
2004-09-01 11:37
London - A "wonder pill" that could help people lose weight and stop smoking may be available by 2006.
The drug, known as "rimonabant" also reduces the risk of heart disease, The Times of London reported.
Researchers announced the results of a study into this substance on Monday at a congress of the European Society of Cardiology in Germany.
The research found that people who took a 20mg tablet of rimonabant once a day lost an average of 8.6kg in two years. The results showed that people who took the pill could also quit smoking more easily without picking up weight.
The drug suppresses the urge to smoke and overeat by working with the body's natural physiological system that regulates the energy balance.
The study was conducted over a two-year period and involved 1 507 overweight men and women in 60 cities in Europe and America. The rimonabant cases lost an average of 9cm around their waists over a year.