Weight Loss News and Research

Latest Weight Loss News and Research

Medifast net revenue for second-quarter 2010 increases 60% to $66.7 million

Medifast, Inc., a leading provider of clinically proven portion-controlled weight-loss programs, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010.

5 Aug 2010

Merck's two pivotal boceprevir Phase III registration studies for chronic HCV meet primary endpoint

Merck reported that two pivotal Phase III registration studies for boceprevir, its investigational oral hepatitis C protease inhibitor, have been completed and met the primary endpoints: in both studies in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection, the addition of boceprevir to treatment with PEGINTRON® and REBETOL® significantly increased the number of patients who achieved sustained virologic response, compared to control groups that received Peg/riba plus placebo.

5 Aug 2010

Contrave added to diet and exercise regimen can induce significant weight loss

Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. announced the online publication of results from its COR-BMOD trial of Contrave (naltrexone SR/bupropion SR) in the journal Obesity. The COR-BMOD trial evaluated intensive behavior modification plus Contrave32 (32mg naltrexone sustained release (SR)/360mg bupropion SR) compared to BMOD plus placebo, in 793 overweight or obese patients.

4 Aug 2010

Arena reports lower net loss of $28.80M for second-quarter 2010

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010, and recent developments, including the successful Pre-Approval Inspection, or PAI, of the company's Swiss drug product manufacturing facility by the US Food and Drug Administration, or FDA.

4 Aug 2010

Insulin resistance from obesity leads to lower cognitive performance in children: Research

A study by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center have found that obese adolescents with type 2 diabetes have diminished cognitive performance and subtle abnormalities in the brain as detected by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Identification of cognitive impairments as a complication of type 2 diabetes emphasizes the importance of addressing issues of inactivity and obesity, two important risk factors for the development of the disease among the young.

3 Aug 2010

Study finds low carbohydrate diet may help improve cardiovascular risk factors

The effectiveness of a low-carbohydrate diet versus a low-fat diet for weight loss have been frequently debated. According to a new study published in Annals of Internal Medicine, both diets produce identical weight loss when coupled with comprehensive behavior treatment, but a low-carbohydrate diet may help improve cardiovascular risk factors.

3 Aug 2010

VIVUS second-quarter total revenue decreases to $3.9 million

VIVUS, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of novel therapeutic products, today reported its financial results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2010.

3 Aug 2010

Study explores role of genetic influence on ulcerative colitis

Adults diagnosed with ulcerative colitis after age 50 are more likely to achieve remission from their symptoms than patients diagnosed at younger ages, even when those patients receive similar treatments, according to research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

3 Aug 2010

Jenkins wins three man weight loss challenge by Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet weight-loss regimen

New York Jets defensive tackle Kris Jenkins has won the three-man weight-loss challenge proposed by Head Coach Rex Ryan back in May, defeating Ryan and teammate Damien Woody. Jenkins lost 33 pounds compared to 26 pounds for Woody and 20 pounds for Ryan. A four-time NFL Pro Bowl athlete, Jenkins weighed 390 pounds at the start of the competition and now weighs in at a lean 359 pounds. To help insure his victory, Jenkins had recruited renowned physician, author, and weight-loss expert Dr. Sanford Siegal and followed the Miami physician's popular Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet weight-loss regimen.

2 Aug 2010

Scottsdale Healthcare surgeon elects as new president for ASMBS

Scottsdale Healthcare surgeon Robin Blackstone, MD is the new president-elect of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), recognizing her leadership and expertise in the field of weight-loss surgery.

2 Aug 2010

PacificHealth Laboratories signs consulting agreement with Signal Nutrition

PacificHealth Laboratories, Inc., a nutrition technology company, announced today that it has signed a consulting agreement with Signal Nutrition LLC, a research and development company headed by former PHLI CEO and founder Dr. Robert Portman. This agreement supports PHLI'S efforts in focusing on its core businesses to drive growth and profitability.

31 Jul 2010

Active ingredients continue to attract new, loyal investors

Active ingredients ranging from weight-loss herbals to cancer-killing cytotoxics attract billions in venture investment dollars every year. But technologies designed to selectively deliver active ingredients to targeted locations are beginning to gain momentum, as their application in drugs, medical devices, food, personal care, and agricultural chemicals rapidly grows and corporate venture investors take notice, according to a new report from Lux Research.

31 Jul 2010

Mental-health treatment could reduce pain in osteoarthritis patients: Study

How much pain osteoarthritis sufferers feel is directly related to their mental health, a new study by researchers at UC Davis School of Medicine has found. In the study, people with better mental health felt less pain, and people with worse mental health felt more.

31 Jul 2010

Patients with malignant gastrointestinal disease show high prevalence of malnutrition

Malnutrition is an important factor, influencing both morbidity and recovery after surgery. The early detection of nutritional risk would allow early intervention, which may prevent later complications. A traditional nutritional assessment often includes dietary and medical evaluations to identify significant weight loss over time, significantly low or high body weight(BW), skinfold thickness, serum nutritional factor levels and functional measurements of muscle strength.

31 Jul 2010

Nutrisystem second-quarter revenues increase 8% to $141.6 million

Nutrisystem, Inc., a leading provider of weight management products and services, today reported financial results for the second quarter of 2010.

30 Jul 2010

Orexigen's Contrave COR-I trial results published online in journal Lancet

Orexigen® Therapeutics, Inc. announced that results from its COR-I trial of Contrave® were published online today in the journal Lancet. COR-I was the largest of the four, 56-week, Phase 3 trials supporting the New Drug Application for Contrave, currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Results show that patients taking Contrave were two to three times more likely to lose at least 5% or 10% of their body weight compared to those taking placebo, on both an intent-to-treat (ITT) and completers basis.

30 Jul 2010

Intercept signs CRADA with NIDDK for study of obeticholic acid in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for chronic fibrotic and metabolic diseases, today announced the signing of a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health to conduct a double blind, multi-center, study to evaluate the effects of obeticholic acid in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

28 Jul 2010

Morinda Holdings chosen as one of the Healthiest Companies in America

Amid the glaring spotlight on healthcare reform in the US, Interactive Health Solutions published their list of the "Healthiest Companies in America" for 2010. The list is a group of 34 companies that have significantly reduced healthcare costs through employee participation in a prevention-based health program in the workplace. Morinda Holdings, Inc. (parent company of Tahitian Noni International) was chosen from over 1,300 corporations in the United Sates ranging in size from as little as 100 to over 50,000 employees, as one of the "Healthiest Companies in America."

28 Jul 2010

Studies reveal impact and spread of CVBDs worldwide

Fascinating studies giving new insights into the spread of leishmaniosis in the UK and France, the appearance of new CVBDs in Germany, the state of heartworm infection in Korea and the neurological impact on humans of long-term bartonella infection from the USA are among the papers now available for download from http://www.cvbd.org, as the proceedings of the 5th Annual Canine Vector Borne Disease (CVBD) World Forum are made available online today.

28 Jul 2010

Merck signs non-exclusive license agreement with LabCorp for commercialization of genetic test

Merck announced a non-exclusive license agreement with Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings for the commercialization of a genetic test that may help predict the response of patients with Hepatitis C virus infection to peginterferon alpha-based therapy.

28 Jul 2010