FDA Advisory Committee Recommends Approval Of Diet Medication Lorcaserin.

On the front of its Business Day section, the New York Times  (5/11, B1, Pollack, Subscription Publication) reports that the Food and Drug Administration's Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee "recommended approval on Thursday of" lorcaserin, "making it likely that a new obesity treatment will reach the market this year." If it is approved, it "would be the first new prescription diet pill to reach the market in 13 years." The committee also discussed safety issues regarding "tumors in rats" and damage to heart valves.

        The Wall Street Journal  (5/11, Burton, Subscription Publication) reports that the vote was 18 to 4, one abstaining, that benefits outweigh risks. It also points out that studies indicate the medication has a modest effect on weight loss.

        The AP  (5/11) reports the panel "concluded that its benefits 'outweigh the potential risks when used long term' in overweight and obese people."

        USA Today  (5/11, Hellmich) reports, "Lorcaserin works on brain chemistry to create a feeling of fullness."

        WebMD  (5/11, Rubin) reports, "Arena Pharmaceuticals wants to market lorcaserin -- at this point under the name Lorqess -- for weight loss and maintenance in obese adults whose body mass index, or BMI, is at least 30, and in overweight adults with a BMI of at least 27 who also have one or more weight-related medical problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep apnea, or type 2 diabetes."

        Also covering the story are Bloomberg News  (5/11, Edney), the Los Angeles Times  (5/11, Healy) "Booster Shots" blog, Reuters  (5/11, Yukhananov), the National Journal  (5/11, Subscription Publication), CQ  (5/11, Adams, Subscription Publication), Forbes  (5/11, Silverman), Forbes  (5/11, Husten), HealthDay  (5/11, Mundell), and MedPage Today  (5/11, Walker).