Therapeutic approaches to bulimia nervosa

Abstract

Approaches to the treatment of the eating disorder bulimia nervosa include both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies. Currently, only one drug, fluoxetine, is approved for the treatment of bulimia nervosa. As increased food intake is an important common characteristic of bulimia nervosa and obesity, the same endogenous factors have been suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of both conditions. Consequently, most research has focused on compounds affecting systems involved in appetite regulation and food intake, assuming that the uncontrolled urge of eating binges can thus be reduced. The patent activity in this field has been dominated by inventions related to 5-HT (serotonin) receptors, neuropeptide Y receptors and corticotrophin releasing factor receptors. In this article, more than 140 patents issued from 1998 to the first half of 2000 are reviewed.

• 5-HT (serotonin)
• bulimia nervosa
• corticotrophin releasing factor
• neuropeptide Y
• pharmacological therapies