Lisdexamfetamine remains the only FDA-approved medication for binge-eating disorder — a serious condition affecting roughly 1.2% of adults. A 2026 human laboratory study by McKee and colleagues tests whether naltrexone/bupropion, already approved for obesity, reduces the food-reward mechanisms that drive binge episodes.1 Research Highlights Binge-eating disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder in the …
Naltrexone is a chemical initially synthesized in 1963 and patented thereafter by the pharmaceutical company Endo Laboratories in 1967. It is considered a substituted derivative of oxymorphone in that the tertiary amine methyl-constituent is replaced with an allyl group (specifically an N-cyclopropylmethyl group) – or a longer chain of carbon atoms. It was initially approved …
Naltrexone is a pure opioid receptor antagonist utilized principally for the treatment of alcohol and opioid dependence. As an opioid receptor antagonist, naltrexone competitively binds to mu-opioid receptor (MOR) and kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) sites with higher affinity than opioid agonists, thereby attenuating receptor activation. Should an individual administer an opioid agonist (e.g. morphine) while taking …
In September 2014, the FDA recently approved a new weight loss drug Contrave. This drug is considered the third pharmaceutical treatment for obesity in the United States. Although it probably seems odd to mention a weight loss drug on a mental health website, the fact is that this new drug is a formulation of two …