contrave weight loss drug advancesThere's a new weight loss pill on the horizon called Contrave. I just read that this pill got a step further in the clinical trial stage, which means it's that much closer to market.

This one will be prescription; you won't be able to pick it up on sale at Target.

And it's for women with serious weight to lose.

Contrave is a combination of two different drugs already available. One is an antidepressant called Wellbutrin, which is already proven to help people lose weight but more short-term. The other is an anti-addiction drug called naltrexone, used to treat alcoholism and other conditions.

Together, the drugs work on brain signals to stop you from eating so much with better long-term effects.

The combination helps women lose weight over time at the average rate of about 20-25 pounds a year, according to a recent study involving severely overweight women with an average weight of 225 pounds.

This was combined with an intensive weight loss program that included counseling on diet and exercise, so as good as the pill sounds, it's not a magic bullet. Researchers are now trying to figure out how to get the pill to deliver the same stellar results with a much easier diet and exercise regimen.

Would you consider a diet pill or prescription drug to help you lose weight? How far would you go to drop those extra pounds?