Tel Aviv, Israel -- Israeli researchers say they have created a new diet drug that produces fewer side effects than do current diet medications.

Dr. Nir Barak of Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine has developed what he says might become a weight-loss wonder drug. The formulation, called HistaleanTM, is based on betahistine, an approved drug that has an excellent safety profile. It is marketed worldwide for the treatment of vertigo.

Betahistine, which has been available for more than 30 years, is believed to block receptors in the brain's H1 and H3 receptors, which are connected to one's sense of fullness and desire to eat fatty foods, Barak said.

A recent Phase II U.S. clinical trial of Histalean completed last month suggests women under the age of 50 who took Histalean for 12 weeks lost 7 times the weight of those taking a placebo, and none of the 281 patients -- males and females aged 18-65 -- complained of any serious side effects, said Barak.

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Copyright 2007 by United Press International.