Thoughts and Concerns Regarding BELVIQ Obesity Drug, Now FDA Approved
I am interested in Dr. Rosedale's thoughts on this new drug. What is the mechanism for this drug, and what are it's true risks? I have loved one's who might be tempted to consider taking this drug. Given the obesity epidemic and poor nutrition today I suspect many people will jump at the chance to take a "magic pill". Even as I continue to enjoy and to share the great benefits of the Rosedale Diet, I am swimming against the tide convincing others...and this pill will be a big wave to swim against for sure.
News Story on BELVIQ:
Arena Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ARNA) scored a major victory today,
winning the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of its
weigh-loss pill locrcaserin, which with the decision becomes the
first obesity medication cleared for sale in the U.S. in 13
years.
Arena today won clearance to market the treatment, dubbed BELVIQ,
which affects an area of the brain that controls appetite and
metabolism, the FDA said in a statement. It works similarly to
fenfluramine, part of the popular fen-phen appetite suppressant
that was pulled from U.S. pharmacies 15 years ago when it was
linked to heart valve abnormalities.
In clinical trials, the most common side effects for patients
without diabetes were headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, dry
mouth, and constipation. In patients with diabetes, the most common
negative reactions were hypoglycemia, headache, back pain, cough,
and fatigue — all a far cry from the heart problems
experienced with fen-phen.
“The FDA approval of BELVIQ is an important development for
patients who struggle with obesity or are overweight with
comorbidities and need help with chronic weight management beyond
diet and exercise,” said Jack Lief, Arena’s President
and Chief Executive Officer. ”We thank our entire team and
the patients who participated in our clinical trial program for
making this achievement possible.”
Arena has licensed the medicine to Tokyo-based Eisai Co. to sell in
the United States. The FDA has recommended that BELVIQ be
classified by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as a
scheduled drug. The DEA will review the FDA’s recommendation
and determine the final scheduling designation. Once the DEA has
provided the final scheduling designation, Eisai will be able to
set a date when BELVIQ will be available to patients and physicians
in the U.S.
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Support Staff 1 Posted by Fiona on 07 Aug, 2012 05:03 AM
Glad to hear that you are constantly at work to show them the true way to health. Belviq causes weight loss by turning on a specific switch that increases levels of the brain messenger serotonin. Messing with your serotonin can make someone become serotonin resistant which creates much bigger issues, as then you will become more depressed. Prosac and similar drugs for depression work by raising serotonin. A similar drug like Belviq was removed from the market several years ago as it killed too many people. Also, Belviq barely does anything, 23% of the people that took the placebo lost just as much weight. What a terrible picture, it will make so many people very depressed and then they will only eat more. Please tell them to stop it with the magic pill dream, it has never worked and will never work.
2 Posted by Patrick on 30 Aug, 2012 01:10 AM
Thank you, Fiona. This is helpful.