Warning: this medicine may make you ill Sep 20, 2007
In recent months, two more diabetes drugs, Actos and Januvia, as well as the weight-loss drug Acomplia, have come under scrutiny in America. The American government drugs watchdog, the are planned. (Daily Mail)
Pendulum swings toward more caution at FDA on new drug decisions Aug 19, 2007
In between, the FDA has cited safety or effectiveness questions in rejecting or delaying approval for experimental drugs including Novartis' diabetes drug Galvus, Sanofi-Aventis' weight-loss drug Zimulti, and even a higher dose of GlaxoSmithKline's Advair Diskus for bronchitis and emphysema symptoms. Also shot down: Wyeth's experimental schizophrenia drug bifeprunox and Wyeth's Pristiq, which would have been the first nonhormonal drug for menopause symptoms. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Business)
Review Suggests Caution On Drugs To Raise 'Good' Cholesterol Aug 17, 2007
The once highly touted weight-loss drug rimonabant, which blocks the brain receptors activated by marijuana, does raise HDL; however, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently refused to approve it because it also seems to elevate risk for psychiatric problems like depression. "I'm much more excited about the prospect of what's coming in this area in the next three to five years," said Shah, who is studying approaches to boosting HDL that use different mechanisms from those that have been... (Science Daily)
New review suggests caution on drugs to raise 'good' cholesterol Aug 15, 2007
Is the function good or is it [a form of HDL] that doesnt do the job properly" There are many types of HDL, not all of which nurture the heart and blood vessels. The good kinds seem to carry fat out of arteries to the liver and perform functions in cell membranes and elsewhere. However, HDLs vary considerably in size, density and other chemical properties that change their ability to sustain health. Certain kinds of HDL could even increase inflammation, clogging arteries rather than clearing... (EurekAlert!)
Weight loss is simple: Eat less and be more active Aug 13, 2007
Q. There's a new pill, Alli, the first government-approved, over-the-counter weight-loss drug. What's your opinion of it. (Anchorage Daily News)
Sanofi Net Falls More Than Estimated; $4.1 Billion Share Buyback Planned Aug 1, 2007
Sanofi, which had counted on the weight-loss drug Acomplia to bolster growth, had to withdraw the U.S. application for the medicine last month after an expert panel linked it to suicide and depression. The results are weak, but not unexpected,'' said Matthias Steger, an analyst at Kepler Equities in Zurich. (Bloomberg -- Europe)
Diary Of A Fat Man Jul 26, 2007
However, I'm pleading with you to please make sure you don't use Alli (or any weight-loss drug) without a supporting program of diet and exercise. Do so, and you're going to end up right back where you started. (KIRO TV, WA)
Obesity Drug Has Little Effect on Heart in Teens Jul 4, 2007
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When the weight-loss drug sibutramine, marketed under the brand names Meridia or Reductil, is used to treat obesity in adolescents, it is associated with small decreases in blood pressure and pulse rate, according to a new study. "Overall there were only minor cardiovascular effects related to the treatment with sibutramine," Dr. Stephen R. Daniels from University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, told Reuters Health. (MEDLINEplus)
Sanofi Pulls U.S. Application for Weight-Loss Drug Zimulti, Will Resubmit Jun 30, 2007
June 29 (Bloomberg) -- Sanofi-Aventis SA, France's biggest drugmaker, withdrew the U.S. application for its most-promising experimental product, the weight-loss drug Zimulti, after regulators linked it to suicide. The treatment will be resubmitted to the Food and Drug Administration at a future date, the Paris-based company said. (Bloomberg -- Europe)
Dinner plate helpsdiabetics lose weight Jun 26, 2007
CALGARY, Alberta - Overweight people with diabetes have as much success dropping pounds using a colorful dinner plate that measures food portions as they do on many weight-loss drugs, Canadian researchers said on Monday ... "And that weight loss is similar to the weight loss seen in studies of weight-loss drugs, but without the potential for side-effects.". (MSNBC -- Health)
Insulin makers expected to benefit as problems arise for diabetes pills Jun 22, 2007
1 percent since U.S. advisers recommended the rejection of its weight-loss drug Acomplia last week, citing safety concerns. Novo, Lilly and Sanofi are in an unprecedented position to reverse the tide of diabetes care. (International Herald Tribune -- Business)
Fairfield doctor surrenders medical license Jun 16, 2007
It also claims he prescribed the weight-loss drug fen-phen, which doctors were to stop prescribing in 1997 after heart complications arose. Sutton denied the accusations, but said he didn't want to contest them. (Muscatine Journal, IO)
Panel Rejects Weight-Loss Drug Jun 15, 2007
Federal health advisers unanimously rejected a weight-loss drug Wednesday after hearing testimony that it increases the risk of suicidal thoughts, even in patients without a history of depression. The manufacturer, , further failed to show the drug rimonabant is safe, the panel said. (Fox News)
Group: Diet Drug Alli Linked to Colon Cancer Jun 15, 2007
Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe, director of s Health Research Group, said, while it is not known whether these pre-cancerous lesions will lead to colon cancer, he and other cancer experts do not believe use of the weight-loss drug is a risk worth taking ... The FDA approved the weight-loss drug, Xenical (orlistat), in the prescription strength of 120 mg in April 1999. (FOX News)
First over-the-counter diet drug debuts Jun 15, 2007
There are a handful of weight-loss drugs available to dieters by prescription. Dozens of nutritional supplements sold at retail outlets or over the Internet claim to promote weight loss but are not tested by the FDA.. (AZCentral -- Business)
EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON NEW DIET PILL Jun 15, 2007
" Alli -- pronounced "ally" -- was approved in February by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for nonprescription sales. A higher-dose version of the same drug, under the brand name Xenical, has been available by prescription since 1999. The drug works by preventing the body from absorbing about 25 percent of the fat it ingests. When used along with a healthy diet plan and regular exercise, about half of people taking Alli in clinical studies lost 5 percent of their body weight in six months.... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Sanofi-Aventis Fails To Prove Safety Of Diet Pill Jun 14, 2007
(AP) WASHINGTON The government should not approve the proposed Sanofi-Aventis weight-loss drug rimonabant, a federal panel said Wednesday on an unanimous vote. Sanofi-Aventis SA has failed to demonstrate the safety of its proposed weight-loss drug rimonabant, federal health advisers said. (K-Eye News, TX)
Dieters may have new Alli in fighting flab Jun 13, 2007
He wrote the first chapter of "Are You Losing It?" a how-to booklet about sustainable weight loss and Alli, the 60-milligram over-the-counter version of orlistat, the weight-loss drug sold by prescription since 1999 under the brand name Xenical (120 mg capsules) ... But there is some good news, says Foster: The drug works only in the gastrointestinal tract so it does not cause sleeplessness, jitters or increased heart rate, as some weight-loss drugs do. (Fort Wayne News Sentinel)
Glaxo targets US minorities with weight-loss drug May 23, 2007
Glaxo targets US minorities with launch of weight-loss drug in supersized market. Pill aimed at grabbing slice of 500m spent every year Concerns over messy and dangerous side-effects. (Guardian Unlimited -- World)
Marketing of new weight-loss drug stresses diet, exercise May 23, 2007
In marketing the new weight-loss drug alli, "We've done everything to go out of our way to be honest," says Steve Burton of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare. ADVERTISER LINKS. (CNN -- Health)
Weight-loss drugs May 3, 2007
By Jane E. BrodyNew York Times News Service. Thursday, May 03, 2007. (The Daily Reflector)
The Hype Of Weight-Loss Drugs May 1, 2007
"Lose up to 2 pounds daily without diet or exercise!". "You could lose up to 10 lbs. this weekend!". (The Ledger)
Chocolate Drops Pressure a Bit Apr 24, 2007
A. It is possible that your weight-loss drug could have affected your sex drive. Changes in libido are reported with phentermine. (The Ledger)
'Fat' gene found by scientists Apr 15, 2007
I have a 5'8" sister, 130 lbs. We were raised in the same household and have simular lifestyles. Tell me thats not genetic!!Vickie L. Baker, Dixon, MOIf you cut processed foods from your diet and put genuine effort into staying active and exercising regularly, you WILL achieve a healthy physique. Your body is not designed to eat mickeyD's everyday and drink soda with every meal. You are designed to drink water, eat greens, whole grains, fruit, fish, and lean meat. Further, you are not designed... (Times Online)
Serotonin Poisoning Is Easily Overlooked Mar 6, 2007
In addition to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors like Zoloft, Prozac and Paxil and serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors like Effexor, the list includes tricyclic antidepressants and MAOIs (for monoamine oxidase inhibitors); narcotic painkillers like fentanyl and tramadol; over-the-counter cough and cold remedies containing dextromethorphan; the anticonvulsant valproate; triptans like Imitrex used to treat and prevent migraines; the antibiotic Zyvox (linezolide); antinausea drugs;... (The Ledger)
Losing it: What to know about 'new' drug Feb 27, 2007
Unlike some other weight-loss drugs, Alli doesn't suppress appetite or work in the brain or central nervous system. Its target is the intestine, where it acts as a fat blocker by preventing up to 25 percent of fat eaten from being digested. (Newsday -- Health)
Experts say over-the-counter diet drug is no silver bullet Feb 10, 2007
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration just this week put its seal on Orlistat, a reduced-strength version of the popular prescription weight-loss drug Xenical. Its the first time the federal agency has approved an over-the-counter drug to help people lose weight. (Daily Mail - Charleston)
Remembering Anna Nicole Smith Feb 9, 2007
jeans model, actress in movies such as Naked Gun 33-1/3, reality-TV star and spokeswoman for TrimSpa weight-loss drug. Would you want your daughter to aspire to most of those. (MSNBC -- Health)
FDA OKs First Over the Counter Weight Loss Drug Feb 9, 2007
MedlinePlus: FDA OKs 1st Over-the-Counter Weight-Loss Drug. FDA OKs 1st Over-the-Counter Weight-Loss Drug ... "This is the only FDA-approved, over-the-counter weight-loss drug product," Dr. Charles J. Ganley, the FDA's director of the Division of Over-The-Counter Drug Products, said during a teleconference. (MEDLINEplus)
FDA gives first OK to over-counter diet drug (Gregory Lopes) Feb 8, 2007
Today's market for weight-loss drugs is saturated with dietary supplements that do not require FDA approval. The newly approved drug, called Alli, is the only FDA-approved weight-loss product available to consumers without a prescription, and is the first clinically proven over-the-counter product that is intended to be taken as part of a comprehensive diet plan. (Washington Times)
Weekly check up: Using diet pills Jan 29, 2007
And 20 percent of women ages 19 and 20 admitted to using weight-loss drugs. Haney said one of the biggest problems with diet pills is that it is hard for someone to know how the drug will react with other medications a person is also taking at the time. (GW Hatchet, Washington DC)
When puppies pack on pounds Jan 16, 2007
By Anita Manning, USA TODAY The new weight-loss drug for dogs approved this month by the Food and Drug Administration won't be a cure-all, veterinarians say, but it could help treat some of the hard-core cases. "Let's say I've got a real heavy Labrador and it's got knee problems and hip problems, so getting this dog to exercise is painful," says animal behaviorist Bonnie Beaver of Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine. (USA Today)
US approves weight-loss drug for obese dogs Jan 9, 2007
WASHINGTON: US health officials have approved the first prescription weight-loss drug aimed at treating Americans' increasingly plump pooches, the Food and Drug Administration has said. The drug, Pfizer's Slentrol, helps decrease appetite and fat absorption to help the roughly 5 per cent of US dogs that are obese lose weight, the FDA said. (Stuff.co.nz)
Study Raises Questions About Weight-Loss Drugs Jan 9, 2007
"To date, the history of weight-loss drugs is not very encouraging," said Dr. David L. Katz, an associate professor of public health and director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine. "The two FDA-approved weight-loss drugs now available, sibutramine and orlistat, have serious potential side effects, limited efficacy, and work only as long as they are taken.". (MEDLINEplus)
UPDATE 2-US approves weight-loss drug for obese dogs Jan 7, 2007
WASHINGTON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - U.S. health officials have approved the first prescription weight-loss drug aimed at treating Americans' increasingly plump pooches, the Food and Drug Administration said on Friday. The drug, Pfizer Inc. (Reuters)
Dog Too Fat? US Allows First Weight-loss Drug Jan 6, 2007
US Allows First Weight-loss Drug - Science News - Playfuls ... Responding to rising obesity among the popular pets, the US government approved the first prescription weight-loss drug for dogs - complete with a warning for humans not to use it. (Playfuls.com)
US approves slimming pills to help portly pooches shed weight Jan 6, 2007
The world's first weight-loss drug for dogs has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Slentrol, made by the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, is intended to significantly reduce the appetite and increase fat absorption in canines. (BBC News)
Shed Those Dog Pounds Jan 6, 2007
" The drug, dirlotapide, will be available with a veterinarian's prescription beginning in the spring. The dosage will vary according to the size and response of the dog but should run about $1 to $2 a day, Pfizer veterinarian Annette Bouwer said. The drug can't be used for other animals, and the FDA will require a label warning for humans not to take it. It causes dogs to lose weight slowly but steadily, Bouwer said, by suppressing the appetite and blocking some fat absorption. Slentrol's side... (Tampa Bay Online, FL -- News)
Now Americans have pills for their obese dogs! Jan 6, 2007
The United States, media reported Friday, has approved the first prescription weight-loss drug to treat plump dogs. "This is a welcome addition to animal therapies because dog obesity appears to be increasing," said the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. (Xinhuanet, China)
Plus: The Deadly Side Effects of Net Pharmacies Dec 11, 2006
Among them: antidepressants Zoloft and Paxil, muscle relaxant Zanaflex, and weight-loss drugs Meridia and Bontril. In a June, 2006, report for Columbia's National Center on Addiction & Substance Abuse, the same investigators noted that "it was rare for an online pharmacy to reject an order or even follow through with a phone call.". (BusinessWeek)
Blocking An Inter-generational Cycle Of Obesity Nov 28, 2006
Being exposed to high levels of nutrition before birth can influence the development of networks within the brain that regulate appetite to permanently set a pattern of appetite for life, according to researchers from the University of South Australia. In addition to changing the way in which the brain develops, high levels of nutrition before birth stimulate the developing fat cells, making them more likely to increase in size, resulting in obese babies who stay obese throughout their lives. (Science Daily)
So That's Where My Drugs Come From Nov 11, 2006
So That's Where My Drugs Come From - The Checkout. So That's Where My Drugs Come From. (Washington Post)
Many Dieters Use Own Plans, Not Doctors' Nov 7, 2006
Consumers also spent $244 million on prescription weight-loss drugs last year, reports IMS Health, another healthcare information firm. The survey was done by the University of Connecticut through random phone calls to 3,500 adults nationwide from Nov. 18, 2005, to Jan 10, 2006. (Click2Houston, TX)
Get section feed Nov 5, 2006
And several drug companies already have developed weight-loss drugs that allow people to lose 5 percent to 7 percent of their weight, said Mustafa Lokhandwala, director of the Heart & Kidney Institute at the University of Houston's College of Pharmacy. But after two to three years, the effectiveness of these drugs wane. (Houston Chronicle)
Sanofi's Acomplia Needs More Tests in Diabetes, Researcher Says Oct 27, 2006
Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Sanofi-Aventis SA, Europe's second- largest drugmaker, needs more tests on weight-loss drug Acomplia to prove the company's claim that the medicine helps obese diabetics control blood sugar levels, researchers said. A study in today's Lancet that suggests the drug may offer a new approach in diabetes treatment isn't conclusive, Naveed Sattar, a professor at the University of Glasgow, wrote in an accompanying comment. (Bloomberg)
Diet tip: Hold the phone Oct 19, 2006
"New weight-loss drugs are not coming as quickly as doctors and their overweight patients would like," he says. Wadden says that although medications have an important role, most people are overweight because of lifestyle. (USA Today)
Pulmonary hypertension gets a closer look Oct 11, 2006
People with certain health problems that include scleroderma, HIV or liver disease, or those who have taken certain weight-loss drugs, are at higher risk for the condition. It can occur in all age ranges, though it appears to occur more often in women than in men, Dr. Murali said. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
New Insight Into How Serotonin Reduces Appetite Could Help In Developing Safer Anti-obesity Drugs Jul 27, 2006
(July 20, 2006) -- Some of the most important weight-loss drugs work by enhancing the effect of the brain chemical serotonin. These include sibutramine (trade name Meridia) and fenfluramine, which was recalled after. (Science Daily)
New Clues To How Major Weight-loss Drugs Work Jul 21, 2006
Some of the most important weight-loss drugs work by enhancing the effect of the brain chemical serotonin. These include sibutramine (trade name Meridia) and fenfluramine, which was recalled after the combination with dexfenfluramine, called fen-phen, was linked to potentially fatal heart valve abnormalities. (Science Daily)
Study finds effects of serotonin on weight loss Jul 20, 2006
(SH) - The brain chemical serotonin activates some cells that curb appetite and blocks others that normally increase hunger at the same time, according to a new study into the effects of several weight-loss drugs. Working with mice, researchers from several institutions sought to learn whether serotonin acts on specific brain circuits in the hypothalamus region that are known to regulate the body's energy balance. (Herald Online, SC -- Health)
New weight-loss drug enters Europe market Jun 30, 2006
TODAY IN MARKETPLACE BY BLOOMBERG. Published: June 30, 2006. (International Herald Tribune -- Business Asia)
A Cephalon Vet Tackles Insomnia Apr 18, 2006
It is preparing to start late-stage testing of a weight-loss drug that stimulates seratonin, making it similar to Phen-Fen, the Wyeth [ ] product that was pulled from the market when some patients developed heart trouble. By targeting seratonin more selectively than Phen-Fen did, Arena's drug appears to sidestep the cardiac risks. (BusinessWeek)
Attention Drugs Need Stronger Warning on Psychosis, US Says Mar 18, 2006
The panel will also discuss the risks from Abbott Laboratories' Meridia weight-loss drug and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Sanofi-Aventis SA's Avapro blood-pressure drug. In one report, a 7-year-old boy on Adderall reported seeing people sitting in a rocking chair and people coming into the house and stealing Christmas presents. (Bloomberg)
Health Highlights: Feb. 18, 2006 Feb 19, 2006
FDA Delays Approval of Weight-Loss Drug. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday issued an "approvable letter" to drug maker Sanofi-Aventis delaying the release to market of its weight-loss medication Accomplia (rimonabant), the New York Times reported. (Forbes)
Weight-losspill getsconditional OK Feb 18, 2006
FDA gives weight-loss drug conditional OK - Health - MSNBC.com ... FDA gives weight-loss drug conditional OK ... Acomplia would compete with other weight-loss drugs such as Roche Holding AGs Xenical and Abbott Laboratories Incs Meridia. (MSNBC -- Health)
FDA deals antismoking drug a setback Feb 18, 2006
For now, Sanofi-Aventis S.A.'s potential wonder drug Acomplia may be approved only as a weight-loss drug. In a negative development for the French drugmaker, the Food and Drug Administration declined yesterday to approve the treatment, known by the chemical name rimonabant, as a smoking-cessation medicine. (Philly.com -- Business)
New weight-loss drug backed in study Feb 15, 2006
CHICAGO (Reuters) - An anti-obesity drug that turns off the same brain circuits which trigger the marijuana-induced munchies appears to produce sustained weight loss among patients who took it in a two-year study, researchers said on Tuesday. The report by New York's Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons also said the drug -- Sanofi-Aventis SA's Acomplia, or rimonabant -- needs additional study for its long-term effects and said the research was limited by a high dropout rate. (Reuters)
It could receive FDA's approval this month. Feb 7, 2006
"There would be a lot more people on the medications if they were reimbursed - $100 a month out-of-pocket forces some people to choose between their car payment or their weight-loss drug.". Contact staff writer Linda Loyd at 215-854-2831 or. (Philly.com -- Health)
Magic pill? Lose weight, ease illness, quit smoking Feb 7, 2006
"There would be a lot more people on the medications if they were reimbursed - $100 a month out-of-pocket forces some people to choose between their car payment or their weight-loss drug.". Enter your email address to be the first to know when big local and national news happens with our Breaking News email alerts. (AZCentral -- News)
Drugs & Devices: Varian Deal Jan 27, 2006
An FDA advisory panel recommends Glaxos drug Alli become the first over-the-counter weight-loss drug. . (Red Herring)
FDA Panel Approves Diet Pill Jan 24, 2006
If approved, orlistat would be the first weight-loss drug sanctioned for over-the-counter sales. Roche will continue selling Xenical regardless. (CBS News)
Panel Recommends FDA Approve First Over-the-Counter Weight-Loss Pill Jan 24, 2006
If approved, orlistat would be the first weight-loss drug sanctioned for over-the-counter sales ... If approved, orlistat would be the first weight-loss drug sanctioned for over-the-counter sales. (Fox News -- Headlines)
Drug firms eye fat profits from new obesity pills Jan 18, 2006
Given the scale of the problem, the arrival of new weight-loss drugs will be greeted with some excitement -- but they may also pose a dilemma. Dr Timothy Armstrong of the WHO's department of chronic diseases believes medication can help only a very small minority of patients and will not impact the overall obesity epidemic. (Reuters.uk)
Drug firms eye fat profits from new obesity pills (Reuters) Jan 16, 2006
Drug firms eye fat profits from new obesity pills - Yahoo. Secondary Navigation. (RSS - Yahoo News - Health)
Weight-loss drug isn't for everyone Jan 15, 2006
ONLINE FEATURES SITE SERVICES. Sunday, Jan 15, 2006 Health. (Miami.com, FL -- Health)
