Improved binge eating outcomes with naltrexone/bupropion? Extended treatment recommended

Individuals with binge-eating disorder (BED) and obesity who responded well to combination treatment with naltrexone plus bupropion may benefit from receiving maintenance treatment with the same combination, according to a study.

For the study, researchers examined the efficacy of naltrexone/bupropion as maintenance treatment for responders to acute treatments with naltrexone/bupropion and/or behavioral weight-loss therapy for BED in patients with comorbid obesity.

A total of 66 participants (mean age 46.9 years, 84.8 percent women, mean body mass index 34.9 kg/m²) who responded to acute treatments were included in the intention-to-treat population. These participants were re-randomly assigned to receive either naltrexone/bupropion (n=32) or placebo (n=34) or for 16 weeks. Majority of these participants (86.3 percent) completed post-treatment assessments.

BED remission rates after maintenance treatments were 68.8 percent with naltrexone/bupropion and 50.0 percent with placebo. Maintenance treatment with naltrexone/bupropion resulted in good maintenance of binge-eating remission, low binge-eating frequency, and significant additional weight loss.

Meanwhile, maintenance treatment with placebo led to significantly lower probability of binge-eating remission, increased binge-eating frequency, and no weight loss.