The most common drugs used in the management of obesity are appetite suppressants. These drugs are only effective for short term weight loss, and have side effects. A drug called Axokine was found to act on the feeding center in the hypothalamic area of the brain to suppress food intake without triggering hunger or associated stress responses associated with food deprivation. In the final clinical trial carried out in 2004 subjects injected with Axokine only lost 3.4 pounds more after a year than those given a placebo. A major problem encountered during the study was that approximately two-thirds of subjects developed antibodies to Axokine after about three months of use, which appreciably reduced less weight loss.
What is Axokine?
Axokine is a drug that was being developed by the drug company Regeneron Pharmaceuticals for the potential treatment of obesity. However, it is no longer mentioned on their website.
Axokine is a modified form of a naturally occurring protein, called ‘Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor’ which signals the satiety center of the brain to decrease food intake. Unlike forced dieting or other treatments for obesity, Axokine treatment lowers the weight set point of the body in the hypothalamic area of the brain.
Axokine clinical studies
In the final clinical trial carried out in 2004 subjects injected with Axokine only lost 3.4 pounds more after a year than those given a placebo. The average weight loss was 7.9 pounds for subjects given Axokine compared to 4.5 pounds for subjects given a placebo. A previous study found that Axokine delivered an average weight loss of 10.1 pounds in three months. The results of the one year study suggest that Axokine is not very effective long-term, especially considering the drug has to be injected.
A major problem encountered during the study was that approximately two-thirds of subjects developed antibodies to Axokine after about three months of use, which appreciably reduced weight loss.
Overall, the results of this study indicated that Axokine is about as effective as Meridia (sibutramine) and Xenical (orlistat) in 9% of subjects, but only half as effective in the other 91%.
Axokine dosage
The drug is not taken as a tablet, and has to be injected. The optimal dosage of Axokine is 1 mg per kg of bodyweight.
Axokine side effects
In general, Axokine was well-tolerated. The most common side effects were irritation were the drug was injected, nausea, cough and headache.
