Drug News
MIT study: New anti-obesity drug not good for kids
By Ben Wasserman
May 8, 2008 - 8:30:47 AM

THURSDAY May 8, 2008 (Foodconsumer.org) -- Anti-obesity drugs that work by blocking brain molecules similar to those in marijuana should not be used in children, a new animal study reported in the May 8 issue of Neuron suggests.

Scientists from MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory found drugs of this sort could block cannabinoid receptors and also suppress the adaptive rewiring of the brain necessary for neural development in children.

Rimonabant (trade name Acomplia) developed by Sanofi-Aventis and awaiting approval for use in the United States is one such drug that works by blocking brain receptors that bind to marijuana and other cannabinoids.

"Our finding of a profound disruption of cortical plasticity in juvenile mice suggests caution is advised in the use of such compounds in children," wrote lead author Mark F. Bear, director of the Picower Institute and Picower Professor of Neuroscience.