New Obesity Medications Near FDA Submission

The important thing to note in that obesity study is what people always forget: the words "reducing calories" and "exercise." None of these medications will work effectively without those components.

It's already been shown that even patients who have gastric bypass surgery can regain weight, if they eat small portions frequently. The overall calorie count does not go down, and thus obesity returns.

The medications still need to be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval. Even if the drugs are approved, it will be a year or longer before they are available to the public.

It's been noted that America is becoming a nation of the overweight. While not necessarily obese, there are many overweight in American, and weight gain leads to such diseases as diabetes, heart disease, and more. These are the types of issues that could be managed given proactive care, reducing overall costs of health care.

The three obesity drugs that are soon to enter the FDA pipeline are:

Qnexa from Vivus. It incorporates low doses of two previously approved prescription medications, the diet drug phentermine, which reduces appetite, and the anti-epilepsy / migraine drug topiramate, which increases the sense of fullness.

The most common side effects: dry mouth and tingling in the toes and fingers.

Lorcaserin hydrochloride from Arena Pharmaceuticals. This is a new drug that increases the sense of fullness. The most common side effect: headaches.

Contrave from Orexigen. Like Qnexa, it combines two medications already approved, bupropion, an antidepressant and anti-smoking medication, and naltrexone, use to treat alcohol and opioid addiction. Contrave reduces food cravings. The most common side effects: nausea, constipation and headache.

Still, while people want a magic bullet for weight loss, there is no such thing. These drugs will help, but much of the time, obesity is driven by emotional needs fulfilled by the pleasure of eating. In addition to drugs, exercise and calorie control, many obese patients should consider therapy to combat those other issues.

Written by Michael Santo