Every now and then, powerful biopharmaceutical companies bring out their products designed to make you lose weight on the go. Three flab-busting pills namely Qnexa, Lorcaserin and Contrave hogged the limelight in 2010 for many reasons.
An Overview
The makers of Qnexa, Contrave and Lorcaserin being Vivus, Orexigen and Arena respectively, are still waiting for FDA approval for releasing the drugs into the mainstream market legally. Unless they receive the nod from FDA, which of course, will only be possible only after numerous reviews and consequent re-evaluation of the approved drugs, their fate still is uncertain as of now.
Pill Side-Effects – Phen-Fen And Meridia (Sibutramine)
Case in point is two other drugs namely Phen-fen, produce of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, which was forced to be called off after serious side-effects were noticed back in 1997. A diet drug Meridia produced by Abbot Laboratories faced a similar fate, the following year, when it was ordered for rollback by FDA.
According to sources, FDA recommendations to halt distribution of Meridia came soon after a 60-day study revealed a 16% increase in health complications in users that included cardiovascular problems, both fatal as well as non-fatal. This could explain the uncomfortable nature of FDA with the three pills in question here.
Status Of Lorcaserin
The press release of Arena Pharmaceutical on October 23, 2010, on the subject of Lorcaserin and FDA recommendations, summarized the non-approval of the drug by the government body. Sources say that the drug’s efficacy is not as per claims, with concerns of breast tumours noticed in certain female rats used for testing the drug. Owing to such apprehensions, FDA has disallowed distribution of Lorcaserin.
Status Of Qnexa
The October 28, 2010 posting on NDA (New Drug Application) for Qnexa declared the uncomfortable feeling of FDA with the drug, due to potential dangers to embryonic development in women. Nevertheless, a response from Vivus Pharmaceuticals to the FDA is expected sometime soon as it has already commented on the capability of Qnexa in battling certain health conditions.
Status Of Contrave
According to Orexigen, their drug Contrave produces weight loss by stimulating higher metabolism while reducing appetite, counteracting the body’s fat storage mechanism while simultaneously dealing with the brain’s hunger triggering system.
The company is trying to make a point that the two primary components used in the drug. Bupropion and Naltrexone are already in use for treating other health issues and should therefore, not have any detrimental effect on the body.
Fat Loss Business and Profits
There are billions of dollars riding on these three pills, and more so in terms of losses if the whole deal goes sour. Speculative sales figures, assuming all three drugs get approval, could be around $357 million for Qnexa, $418 million for Lorcaserin and $325 million for Contrave by the year 2013 only!