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Case Reports
. 2023;16(1):99-107.
doi: 10.1159/000527386. Epub 2022 Nov 8.

Rapid Emergence of Appetite and Hunger Resulting in Weight Gain and Improvement of Eating Disorder Symptomatology during and after Short-Term Off-Label Metreleptin Treatment of a Patient with Anorexia Nervosa

Gertraud Gradl-Dietsch  1 , Gabriella Milos  2 , Martin Wabitsch  3 , Rebecca Bell  1 , Franziska Tschöpe  1 , Jochen Antel  1 , Johannes Hebebrand  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Rapid Emergence of Appetite and Hunger Resulting in Weight Gain and Improvement of Eating Disorder Symptomatology during and after Short-Term Off-Label Metreleptin Treatment of a Patient with Anorexia Nervosa

Gertraud Gradl-Dietsch et al. Obes Facts. 2023.

Abstract

Off-label treatment of a 15-year-old female patient with anorexia nervosa (AN) with human recombinant leptin (metreleptin) for nine days was associated with self-reported increments of appetite and hunger resulting in rapid weight gain and substantial improvement of eating disorder cognitions and of depression. The results further substantiate the effects of metreleptin on both AN and depression. We contrast these results with the widespread view that leptin is an anorexigenic hormone. Randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm the described effects.

Keywords: Anorexia nervosa; Antidepressant; Hunger; Leptin; Starvation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Gertraud Gradl-Dietsch, Johannes Hebebrand (J.H.), and Jochen Antel (J.A.) declare that they will be named as inventors in a patent application that the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) prepares to file on the use of leptin analogues for the treatment of depression; J.H., J.A., and Gabriella Milos (G.M.) are also named as inventors in a patent application filed by the UDE for use of metreleptin in AN. Johannes Hebebrand received a speaker's honorarium from Amryt Pharmaceuticals in 2021. Martin Wabitsch has served as a consultant to Amryt Pharmaceuticals in 2020 and 2021. All other authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Means of eating disorder associated cognitions and emotions assessed twice daily with visual analogue scales (range 1–10) prior to, during, and after the 9-day dosing period.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Means of depressive cognitions and emotions assessed twice daily with visual analogue scales (range 1–10) prior to, during, and after the 9-day dosing period.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Means of physiological parameters assessed twice daily with visual analogue scales (range 1–10) prior to, during, and after the 9-day dosing period.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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