American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 11, 509-516, Copyright © 1962 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Evaluation of Anorexigenic Agents

Studies with Chlorphentermine

¹ From the Medical Service, Harlem Hospital, New York, New York

In view of the large number of drugs available and constantly being released for use today it has become increasingly important not only to develop the most careful and scientific methods of evaluating them, but also to apply these methods scrupulously to all new drugs. The physician, educated to rely on objective, authoritative, published medical reports, can then properly select and apply the therapeutic tools which have been shown to be of value. Until the worth of a new drug has been so demonstrated, its use, under ordinary circumstances, should be postponed.

The lack of a truly objective method of evaluating anorexigenic drugs has been largely responsible for difficulty in clearly indicating which are the most effective members of the group. This has clouded their considerable value when skillfully blended with the other modalities in the treatment of obesity. The triple-blind method of study described, by means of the third blind factor, total unawareness of the patient of the purpose on possible effect of the medication, provides the much-needed objectivity. In addition, the use of one of the previously tested and proved anorexigenic drugs as a standard provides an immediate estimation of the relative value of a new drug in the field.

When carefully tested by this method in a group of twenty-nine obese diabetic patients, a new anorexigenic drug, chlorphentermine, was found to have approximately the same anorexigenic potency and as low an incidence of side-effects as dextroamphetamine. It is suggested that modification of the form and dosage of this new drug might produce a stronger anorexigenic effect than is obtained with dextroamphetamine and with fewer side-effects. The accomplishment of either or both of these effects would constitute a distinct advantage.