A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has shown exciting results from trials of a drug called semaglutide on people with severe obesity.
The trial showed that people lost an average of 15kg when receiving semaglutide compared with only 2.6kg in those receiving the placebo.
32% of people taking the drug in the trial lost as much as a fifth of their body weight, compared with fewer than 2% on the placebo treatment.
While the trial does not relate directly to the particular needs of people with PWS it may be possible that some observations from this study can help with the development of a treatment for hyperphagia in the future, and the company, Novo Nordisk, have been undertaking a trial of a related medication in people with PWS that is still to be reported on.
The abstract and summary of results can be read online.