title: Safety and efficacy of fenproporex for obesity treatment: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate clinical evidence on the safety and efficacy of fenproporex for treating obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  MEDLINE, LILACS and Cochrane Controlled Trials Register were searched as well as references cited by articles and relevant documents. Two authors independently assessed the studies for inclusion and regarding risk of bias, collected data, and accuracy. Eligible studies were all those placebo-controlled that provided data on the efficacy and safety of Fenproporex to treat obesity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only four controlled studies met the inclusion criteria. One randomized, placebo-controlled trial on Fenproporex was found on electronic databases. Three placebo-controlled studies (in non-indexed journals) were identified by hand-searching. Patients with cardiovascular and other comorbidities were excluded in all studies. Trials lasted from 40 to 364 days and doses ranged from 20 to 33.6 mg/d. All controlled studies found that weight loss among Fenproporex-treated patients was greater than that produced by the placebo, but drug effect was modest. Fenproporex produced additional weight reductions of 4.7 kg (one year), 3.8 kg (six months) and 1.55 kg (two months) in average, in relation to diet and exercise only (three trials). Insomnia, irritability, and anxiety were the most frequently reported side effects in the four studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a paucity of randomized, placebo-controlled trials on Fenproporex and those identified here present major methodological flaws. These studies suggest that Fenproporex is modestly effective in promoting weight loss. Nonetheless, they failed to provide evidence that it reduces obesity-associated morbidity and mortality. Data from these studies are insufficient to determine the risk-benefit profile of Fenproporex. Abuse potential and amphetamine-like adverse effects are causes for concern.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Francisco José Roma
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Paumgartten
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Sabrina Schaaf Teixeira Costa
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ana Cecilia Amado Xavier
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000661:Amphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000662:Amphetamines / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010919:Placebos
chemical_list: D000662:Amphetamines; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D010919:Placebos; D000661:Amphetamine; C026013:fenproporex