FDA Approves Diet Drug Qsymia

For the second time in less than a month, the FDA has approved a new prescription weight loss drug.

Qsymia, developed by California-based Vivus Inc., combines two already prescribed medications — the stimulant phentermine and the anti-seizure drug Topamax (topiramate) — in a controlled-release pill that is taken once a day.

Last February, an FDA advisory panel overwhelmingly voted to recommend the drug, formerly called Qnexa, for promoting weight loss in people who are obese, with the exception of pregnant women.

“Obesity is one of the biggest problems we are facing in health care, and we need more tools to help people lose weight,” says diabetes specialist Abraham Thomas, MD, who served on the FDA advisory panel. “But these drugs are not a replacement for lifestyle changes.”

Qsymia’s approval came as an addition to a reduced-calorie diet and exercise.

Read the full article at http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20120717/fda-approves-diet-drug-qsymia?ecd=wnl_nal_wlw_071812

Source:  by Salynn Boyles for WebMD Health News on July 17, 2012 at http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20120717/fda-approves-diet-drug-qsymia?ecd=wnl_nal_wlw_071812