Clinical pharmacology of eating and not eating

FDA approval of Belviq and Qsymia seems to suggest that novel pharmacological targets to modulate human abnormal eating behaviours are still to be identified. However, a renewed translational approach opens new avenues on eating disorders and female vulnerability, highlighting the role of our reward pathway in obesity and binge eating and leading to potential novel targets. Nevertheless, the 'food addiction' hypothesis is still causing much scientific debate. In this context the interest in the modulation of ghrelin pathway is still very high although, so far, only ghrelin agonism has confirmed its therapeutic potential in cachectic patients. Unfortunately, ghrelin modulation does not offer a therapeutic option for Anorexia Nervosa, where novel promising pharmacological treatments are still to be uncovered.