Prozac Effective In Anorexia?

Eli Lilly's blockbuster selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, Prozac(fluoxetine), may be effective in the maintainance of body weight in patients with anorexia nervosa, according to results presented by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting in San Diego.

The UPMC study involved 35 patients with anorexia nervosa who had been released from hospital after regaining a significant amount of their body weight. 16 patients received Prozac, while the remaining 19 were administered placebo. After one year, 10 of the 16 Prozac-treated patients (28.5%) had not relapsed and maintained a healthy body weight, compared to only three patients in the placebo group (8.5%).

Research has demonstrated that the symptoms of anorexia nervosa may be associated with disturbances in serotonin, which has a role to play in both mood and appetite regulation. This is now the second eating disorder for which Prozac may be of benefit; the US Food and Drug Administration approved the drug last year for use in the treatment of bulimia nervosa, its third indication (Marketletter December 2, 1996). Prozac is also marketed for clinical depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.