বৃহস্পতিবার, ২৩ ফেব্রুয়ারী, ২০১২

Diet pill aims for US regulatory approval

The makers of an appetite-sapping drug will this week take a second bite at the cherry of regulatory approval.

Two years ago the US Food and Drug Administration rejected Qnexa because it raises risks of heart complications and possible damage to fetuses in pregnant women. Vivus of Mountain View, California, which makes the drug, argues that given the current obesity epidemic, the risks are outweighed by the benefits. It adds that Qnexa eases the effects of diabetes and high blood pressure.

In a background brief to the panel that will, by 17 April, decide Qnexa's fate, FDA researchers direct the panellists to focus on whether the risks are manageable.

An unusual complication is that Qnexa is a mixture of two legally available drugs ? topiramate (marketed as Topamax, pictured) and phentermine and ? so some people are attempting to obtain its effects by going to clinics which may supply both.

The only treatment that matches the weight loss seen with Qnexa is stomach-stapling surgery, which carries significant risks and cannot realistically be offered to the vast numbers of people who are obese, says Nick Finer of University College London.

Carel Le Roux of Imperial College London urges approval of Qnexa, but only for use in obese people who already have other complications, such as diabetes. "It won't make them thin or happy, but it could make them healthier," he says.

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

Have your say

Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.

Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article

Subscribe now to comment.

All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.

If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/1cd83a0e/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Carticle0Cdn2150A40Ediet0Epill0Eaims0Efor0Eus0Eregulatory0Eapproval0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Fonline0Enews/story01.htm

congress censored darvish jerry yang stop sopa justified protect ip act

কোন মন্তব্য নেই:

একটি মন্তব্য পোস্ট করুন