Pramlintide, which is approved for lowering blood sugar in people with diabetes, leads to progressive weight loss in obese subjects, according to a new study.

Pramlintide, sold in the United States under the trade name Symlin, is a synthetic version of a natural hormone called amylin that slows down gastric emptying, thereby increasing the sensation of satiety and reducing food intake.

Dr. Christian Weyer, the senior investigator on the current study, told Reuters Health that the results "are the most robust clinical proof-of-concept reported to date for the anti-obesity potential of a satiogenic peptide hormone."

About 31 percent of the pramlintide treatment group achieved a weight loss of 5 percent or more, compared to only 2 percent of placebo patients. The study was published in the August 2007 edition of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com