Co-administration of benfluorex with oral anticoagulant therapy.

A study was carried out in patients receiving anticoagulant therapy for various cardiac conditions to evaluate the possible potentiation of their oral anticoagulant medication by benfluorex (450 mg per day) given concomitantly for 9 weeks. Combined treatment was preceded and followed by periods, each of 9 weeks, when the patients received their normal oral coagulant alone. Prothrombin times and weekly tablet consumption of anticoagulant were measured at 3-weekly intervals. Statistical analysis of the results from 22 patients showed that there was no significant difference between prothrombin times and anticoagulant dosage in the period when patients were receiving benfluorex and the values recorded during the baseline and follow-up periods. The results suggest that there was no interaction between benfluorex and the anticoagulant drugs.

Metabolic effects and anti-obesity action of fenfluramine in prolonged-acting form.

In a single-blind trial, 15 obese patients, selected because of their poor response to a weight reducing diet, were treated for 1 month with placebo plus a 1600 calorie diet and then for a further 2 months with a single daily dose of 120 mg fenfluramine plus diet. After the placebo period, the mean weight loss was only 0.89 kg. After the 2-month period on fenfluramine, there was a highly significant (p less than 0.001) additional mean weight loss of 10.18 kg. Biological investigations of the metabolic effects of fenfluramine showed that compared with the placebo period there was an improved glucose tolerance and insulin response after active treatment as well as statistically significant decreases in serum cholesterol (p less than 0.001) and triglycerides (p less than 0.01). During active treatment none of the patients complained of feeling hungry and only a few transient side-effects were reported at the start.