Anti-Obesity Pill Wins Approval

Source: Associated Press (7/17/12)

"Vivus Inc.'s Qsymia is the second weight-loss drug approved by the FDA in less than a month, following Arena Pharmaceutical's pill Belviq in late June."

Associated Press

A new weight-loss pill that many doctors consider the most effective of a new generation of anti-obesity drugs got the approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday.

The pill, called Qsymia, was approved for patients who are overweight or obese and also have at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol.

The drug offers hope for those who have failed to lose weight in other ways, but its path to approval also underscores how difficult it has been for drugmakers to find obesity treatments that are safe and effective.

The drug's maker, Vivus Inc., said it plans to bring the drug to market in the fourth quarter of this year. It hasn't yet decided what the pills will cost. . .View Full Article

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