Clinical trial results showed after eight weeks, both men and women taking the pills reduced the amount of time shopping and the amount of money spent, the Daily Mail reported.
Overall the effect was said to reduce the symptoms by half, with less impulse buying and fewer impulsive urges, thoughts and behaviour.
"Hours spent shopping per week and money spent shopping both decreased significantly, with no side effects," said a team of psychiatrists from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
Those taking part in the study of nine people aged 19 to 59 were diagnosed with compulsive buying disorder, based on senseless preoccupation' with shopping and spending. This led to distress, an inability to function at work or socially and financial problems.
Compulsive buying affects up to 5.8 per cent of adults, according to studies.
People in the trial earned almost £40,000 a year on average, but were spending 61 per cent of their income on impulsive purchases, mostly clothes.
They were looking for bargains up to 38 hours a week in shops.
Memantine, also known as Ebixa, was originally designed for Alzheimer's and has been approved for use in NHS patients who fail to respond to other treatments.
It acts on the brain chemical glutamate which is thought to be involved in the development of dementia, but it is also believed to be involved in obsessiveness and may play some role in OCD (obsessive compulsive disorders).
Masterplan will boost shopping centre trade - Grimsby Telegraph
A MAJOR retailer is waiting for the opportunity to set up shop in Grimsby, according to a report.
Repositioning the town's bus station could allow for the expansion of Freshney Place shopping precinct and create a further eight outlets.
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New look? An artist's impression of a redesigned Grimsby bus station.
Precinct owners Grosvenor said they supported the masterplan for the area because it would boost trade.
Nearly 40 per cent of the shoppers heading to Freshney Place shopping centre come by bus, according to the precinct's owners.
Grosvenor's projects director, Simon Armstrong, said his firm supported North East Lincolnshire Council's bid for funding because it would bring in further investment and shoppers.
Mr Armstrong said: "At present, the bus station provides a hostile environment for pedestrian shoppers at the western end of the shopping centre and the proposals to upgrade the quality of the public realm and pedestrian amenities are welcomed."
He said his firm was committed to bringing further investment to Grimsby following relocation of the bus station, adding: "Our initial studies suggest there is potential to create a large new store of about 70,000 sq ft and stimulate an investment of £12 million with the creation of 100 jobs.
"In setting out our support for these proposals, we would emphasise the need for a high-quality replacement bus facility."
The new bus station would have to be convenient and provide easy access to the shopping centre, he said.
North East Lincolnshire Council's head of development, Jason Longhurst, said: "This successful bid, alongside the significant benefits for public transport and enabling access to employment, further provides the opportunity to expand the retail offer in Grimsby town centre, as we know that Grosvenor, the owners of Freshney Place, are keen to extend.
"The bid was prepared in partnership with our regeneration partner Balfour Beatty and a number of local businesses and community groups.
"This funding will allow us to make significant improvements to the public and sustainable transport networks, which will help to encourage development, create jobs and improve levels of accessibility."
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Shopping for land - Leicester Mercury
Fosse Park has expressed an interest in expanding onto the Everards Brewery site, situated next to the shopping centre.
The brewery plans to relocate from its Castle Acres site adjacent Fosse Park to nearby land it already owns, close to the Leicestershire Police HQ in Enderby.
Last year, bosses announced a proposal to create an 11-acre food and drink park at the new site and sell its existing 12-acre facility. They hope to receive tens of millions of pounds from the sale.
Stephen Gould, Everards' managing director, said: "The current owners of Fosse Park have approached us. We have kept them up to date. We have always had an open dialogue with them
"There's active interest in the site from a number of parties, mainly from retailers. However, at no stage have we put the site formally on the market.
"It's being handled very sensitively and we are consulting widely."
The 12-acre Castle Acre site is to the south of the shopping park, between Braunstone and junction 21 of the M1. Fosse Park, which opened in 1989, is the UK's leading out-of-town shopping centre. It contains 40 shops over 37 acres and attracts 12 million visitors a year. It is currently owned by a group of Irish investors.
The then owners of Fosse Park signed a special agreement with Everards Brewery more than 10 years ago giving the shopping centre first option to buy the Everards site.
This agreement was not renewed after a deadline was reached. However, the park's current owners are still thought to be interested.
Fosse Park manager Adrian Young declined to comment and its owners could not be contacted.
Everards plan to occupy five acres of the food and drink park and offer the remainder to other businesses. The site would also contain a visitor centre.
Mr Gould said if the development was approved by Blaby District Council, work could commence by the end of the year.
Mr Gould announced Everards made a pre-tax profit of £2.47 million in the year to September 24, 2011, down £1.44 million on last year. The fall reflected one-off profit gains of £1.6 million made last year from the sale of property and the closure of its final-salary scheme.
The company said a 6.1 per cent rise in operating profit to £3.93 million over the same period better reflected day-to-day trading. Turnover was down 2.5 per cent to £28.2 million. The company, founded in 1849, employs 106 people and runs 176 pubs.
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