New Prescription Weight Loss Meds Expected
Well, it looks like there may be some interesting prescription weight loss drug offerings brewing right now. That is, if they can pass the rigorous FDA scrutiny they are about to endure. The FDA has been very careful about weight loss drugs in particular, especially after the Phen-Fen debacle, where there were even deaths correlated with the drug, and also since multiple other prescription weight loss drugs were either banned or made to put serious warning labels on them after they were associated with serious, and potentially life threatening side effects.
There has not been a new weight loss drug released in several years, and part of it may be because companies know how hard it is to get one pushed through the FDA for approval to mass market, and they don’t want to waste the R&D time and money on developing new drugs for losing weight if the FDA is just going to shoot them down. That equals a lot of wasted time and money for drug companies.
Some of the drugs that are vying for approval actually sound quite promising. That is, if they don’t come with the nasty side effects that so many of their predecessors have been rife with. One drug is an anti convulsant that is known to suppress the appetite. Yikes, an anti convulsant drug, just to lose a few pounds!? That one is actually Topomax, which is sold by Johnson and Johnson. I believe there is another one that is based on this idea that is going through approval now too.
One targets the center of the brain that controls appetite and metabolism, and is supposed to suppress the appetite while also helping to raise the metabolism. Another drug vying for approval and the possibility of blockbuster sales is one that combines a drug used for addictions to alcohol and drugs, combined with an antidepressant. The idea behind this one is mostly to suppress hunger to reach the end goal of weight loss.
The projections for sales for any one of these new drugs would be phenomenal. People are hungry (no pun intended) for new prescription weight loss drugs like Xenical, which was one of the last ones approved, which helps you to get rid of excess fat via flushing it out of your system. Alli, it’s less potent sister drug which does not require a prescription, has also been a big seller, but people are looking for ways to lose weight that target appetite first. Should be an interesting outcome! I’ll keep you posted.
