SANDOZ LAUNCHES SANOREX IN JAPAN

Sandoz Yakuhin KK has launched its appetite-curbing drug Sanorex (mazindol) onto the market in Japan for the treatment of severe obesity. The company claims that it is the first product to be launched in Japan targeted at this indication. Sanorex was approved in June by the Central Pharmaceutical Affairs Council for "patients who suffer from severe obesity (obesity degree of 70% or above or a body mass index of 35 or more), for whom previous diet and exercise programs have proved inadequate.

Sanorex controls appetite by stimulating the central nerves of the brain which govern the sensation of fullness and blocking the centers which promote food intake. In addition, the drug reduces saliva production and gastric acidity, together with a lowering of the activity of digestive enzymes. As a result, the patient feels less need to eat, and energy intake is markedly reduced.

Data from clinical studies suggest that the use of Sanorex in obese patients, in combination with a program that incorporates diet alteration and increased exercise, can produce an average weight loss of between four and five kilograms over a three-month treatment period. The drug is generally taken with food to make the best use of its appetite-curbing properties, and so fits in easily with a program of dietary restriction, notes the company.