Lisdexamfetamine For Binge Eating Disorder
Susan McElroy and colleagues are investigating whether lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX) can treat binge eating. The research group carried out an 11-week blind randomized placebo-controlled trial of the drug at three different doses (30mg/day, 50mg/day, and 70mg/day). Patients taking the 50mg and 70mg doses of the drug performed significantly better than those taking placebo on most end points, including global improvement and reducing number of days binging. More of the patients taking those doses of lisdexamfetamine were able to achieve a 4-week cessation of binging. The researchers concluded that larger trials are warranted to confirm the drug’s efficacy and safety profile among binge eaters.
Editors Note: The anticonvulsants topiramate and zonisamide have also shown efficacy in reducing the number and severity of binges in other placebo-controlled studies by McElroy et al.
