Two new obesity drugs have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to tackle obesity in the United States. Belviq, made by Arena Pharmaceuticals, and Qsymia, made by Vivus, are in the process of marketing their drugs to the medical profession.
According to the Center for Disease Control in 2010, 35.7% of adults are obese and 17% of children are obese. Obesity-attributable medical expenditures reached $75 billion in 2003.
Vivus recently announced that it will likely be denied approval in Europe for the Qysmia drug. The European Medicines Agency will be making a formal decision next month on the drug. Europe is a large market for the company, with nearly half of the adult population being obese or overweight.
An NPR report quoted Dr. Donna Ryan, a researcher and obesity specialist at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, who stated that "The medications are working through biology...to reduce appetite and to diminish hunger. Patients must intentionally go on a diet, try to reduce food intake and increase physical activity." Ryan conducted studies of the two medications for the drug makers.
According to Dr. Louis Aronne, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. "This is not medication for someone who wants to lose the last 10 pounds."
To qualify for the prescription-only drug, a person would need to be at least 30 pounds overweight.
