Food cravings and drug addiction affected the brain similarly in studies, suggesting new weight-loss medicines may help treat recovering addicts.
Brain scans of 18 cocaine addicts found that when they thought about drugs they exhibited higher levels of dopamine, a chemical tied to feelings of reward and pleasure, in a brain region that's also activated by food deprivation. Other studies showed reduced sensitivity in the reward circuits of both addicts and obese people, possibly leading them to compensate with drugs or overeating.
The data is to presented Friday at a meeting in San Francisco. Pfizer Inc., Sanofi-Aventis SA and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. are developing new types of diet pills that work by blocking hunger signals in the brain. Some U.S. health officials hope to capitalize on the drugmakers' research by testing the compounds on smoking, alcoholism and other substance abuse.
While drugmakers are racing to gain a piece of the market for treating the two-thirds of Americans who are overweight, companies so far have been reluctant to invest in new addiction treatments. Acomplia, which was introduced in Europe in July, suffered its third delay in U.S. approval this week. Until medicines are cleared for sale by the Food and Drug Administration, scientists need the backing of companies to gain access to test their compounds.
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