Use of ibogamine congeners for treating obesity

1. A method of treating diet-induced obesity in an obese subject, said method comprising:

selecting an obese subject having diet-induced obesity, and

administering to the selected obese subject a compound of the formula:

wherein

n is from 0 to 8;

R 1 is CH 2 OH, CH(OH)R 5 , CH 2 OR 5 , CO 2 R 5 , C(O)NH 2 , C(O)NHR 5 , C(O)NR 5 R 6 , C(O)NHNH 2 , C(O)NHNHR 5 , C(O)NHNR 5 R 6 , C(O)NR 5 NH 2 , C(O)NR 5 NHR 6 , C(O)NR 5 NR 6 R 7 , C(O)NHNH(C(O)R 5 ), C(O)NHNR 5 (C(O)R 6 ), C(O)NR 5 NH(C(O)R 6 ), C(O)NR 5 NR 6 (C(O)R 7 ), CN, or C(O)R 5 ;

R 2 is H, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, YH, YR 8 , YR 8 R 9 , YR 8 YR 9 YR 10 , YC(O)R 8 , C(O)YR 8 , C(O)NH 2 , C(O)NHR 8 , C(O)NR 8 R 9 , NH 2 , NHR 8 , NR 8 R 9 , NHC(O)R 8 , or NR 8 C(O)R 9 ;

R 3 and R 4 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of H, halogens, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, OH, OR 10 , NH 2 , NHR 10 , NR 10 R 11 , NHC(O)R 10 , or NR 10 C(O)R 11 ;

R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10 , and R 11 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of H, unsubstituted alkyl, substituted alkyl, unsubstituted aryl and substituted aryl;

R 12 is selected from the group consisting of H, unsubstituted alkyl, and substituted alkyl; and

Y is O or S;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof;

under conditions effective to treat diet-induced obesity.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is a human.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 3 and R 4 are H.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 12 is H.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 1 is CO 2 R 5 .

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein R 5 is CH 3 .

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein R 1 is CH 2 OH.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein n is 2 and R 2 is YR 8 .

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein Y is O.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein R 8 is CH 3 .

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein R 8 is CH 2 Ph.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein R 8 is CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 OCH 3 .

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein n is 2 and R 2 is YH.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein Y is O.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein n is 2 and R 2 is YC(O)R 8 .

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein Y is O.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein R 8 is (CH 2 ) m CH 3 and wherein m is from 0 to 20.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein m is 10.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound has the formula:

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound has the formula:

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound has the formula:

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound has the formula:

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound has the formula:

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound has the formula:

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the administering is selected from the group consisting of orally, topically, parenterally, subcutaneously, intravenously, intramuscularly, intraperitoneally, intranasal instillation, application to mucous membranes, intraventricularly, intracerebrally, rectally, and combinations thereof.

26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound is administered as a composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

27. The method of claim 1 , wherein said administering comprises administering a dosage comprising 10 to 40 mg/kg of the compound.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein said administering comprises:

administering the dose of the compound once daily.

29. The method of claim 1 , wherein the diet is high in fat and contains at least 45 kcal % fat.

30. The method of claim 1 , wherein said selected obese subject has a body mass index greater than 25.

31. A method of preventing weight gain in a subject, said method comprising:

selecting a subject susceptible to diet-induced obesity, and

administering to the selected subject a compound of the formula:

wherein

n is from 0 to 8;

R 1 is CH 2 OH, CH(OH)R 5 , CH 2 OR 5 , CO 2 R 5 , C(O)NH 2 , C(O)NHR 5 , C(O)NR 5 R 6 , C(O)NHNH 2 , C(O)NHNHR 5 , C(O)NHNR 5 R 6 , C(O)NR 5 NH 2 , C(O)NR 5 NHR 6 , C(O)NR 5 NR 6 R 7 , C(O)NHNH(C(O)R 5 ), C(O)NHNR 5 (C(O)R 6 ), C(O)NR 5 NH(C(O)R 6 ), C(O)NR 5 NR 6 (C(O)R 7 ), CN, or C(O)R 5 ;

R 2 is H, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, YH, YR 8 , YR 8 R 9 , YR 8 YR 9 YR 10 , YC(O)R 8 , C(O)YR 8 , C(O)NH 2 , C(O)NHR 8 , C(O)NR 8 R 9 , NH 2 , NHR 8 , NR 8 R 9 , NHC(O)R 8 , or NR 8 C(O)R 9 ;

R 3 and R 4 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of H, halogens, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, OH, OR 10 R 11 , NHC(O)R 10 , or NR 10 C(O)R 11 ;

R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 10 , and R 11 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of H, unsubstituted alkyl, substituted alkyl, unsubstituted aryl and substituted aryl;

R 12 is selected from the group consisting of H, unsubstituted alkyl, and substituted alkyl; and

Y is O or S;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof;

under conditions effective to prevent weight gain resulting from diet-induced obesity.

32. The method of claim 1 , wherein the diet-induced obesity is sucrose-induced obesity or fat-induced obesity.

33. The method of claim 31 , wherein the diet-induced obesity is sucrose-induced obesity or fat-induced obesity.