Fat-binding polymers

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for treating obesity, a method for reducing the absorption of dietary fat, and a method for treating hypertriglyceridemia in a patient and to particular polymers for use in the methods or in a manufacture of a medicament. The methods comprise the step of orally administering to a mammal, such as a human, a therapeutically effective amount of one or more fat-binding polymers. The administration of the fat-binding polymer of the invention facilitates the removal of fat from the body prior to digestion, with minimal side effects and low toxicity. In a preferred embodiment, the one or more fat-binding polymers are administered in combination with one or more lipase inibitors, for example, lipstatin and tetrahydrolipstatin.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for treating obesity in a mammal, comprising the step of orally administering to the mammal an effective amount of one or more fat-binding polymers in combination with one or more lipase inhibitors.  
     
     
         2  The method of  claim 1  wherein the lipase inhibitor is selected from lipstatin, tetrahydrolipstatin or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the fat-binding polymer comprises a monomer of the formula  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R is a hydrophobic region.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  herein the hydrophobic region comprises a substituted or unsubstituted, normal, branched or cyclic alkyl group having at least about four carbons.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the hydrophobic region comprises an alkyl group of between about four and thirty carbons.  
     
     
         6  The method of  claim 3  wherein the hydrophobic region comprises an alkyl group of about 6 carbons.  
     
     
         7 . A method for reducing the absorption of dietary fat in a mammal, comprising the step of orally administering to the mammal a therapeutic amount of one or more fat-binding polymers in combination with one or more lipase inhibitors.