EP1681057A1 — Use of naloxone for treating eating disorders

USPTO Abstract

Use of naloxone for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for treating eating disorders by a method based on selective extinction. In such a method a pharmaceutical composition is administered simultaneously with the patient making eating disorder responses but in a manner so that effective levels of naloxone are not present in the body when the patient makes healthy eating responses, and continuing the alternating between extinction of eating disorder responses with naloxone and reinforcement of healthy eating behaviors until the eating disorder responses are weak enough to be controlled. By means of the invention, eating disorders, such as binge eating, bulimia, bulimia-like syndrome, anorexia nervosa, and habitual over-eating stimulated by specific stimuli including certain foods, situations, or moods, can be efficiently treated.