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FDA Rejects Another Weight-Loss Drug, Vivus' Qnexa

The Food and Drug Administration rejected its third weight-loss drug this month, Qnexa, which is manufactured by Vivus and is a combination of two existing drugs -- phentermine, a stimulant that is approved for short-term use as a weight loss drug, and topiramate, an epilepsy and migraine drug, Andrew Pollack reports. Vivus says that the FDA has asked for a thorough evaluation of the drug's potential for causing birth defects and heart problems.

"It looks pretty bleak out there for anyone trying to get a drug approval for weight loss," says Dr. Ken Fujioka, director of the center for weight management at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego.

Approximately one-third of American adults (more than 72 million people) are obese, according to government figures. "We've shown over and over again that it's very difficult for anyone to lose weight and keep it off through diet and exercise alone," says Dr. Caroline Apovian, director of the center for nutrition and weight management at Boston University Medical Center. Such an approach often requires intensive coaching, she says, which is impractical for medical offices to provide on a large scale.

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Supervalu, meanwhile, has announced the launch of a comprehensive, whole-store health-and-wellness program called "living healthy with my diabetes." The program includes educational materials, health screening tests, group and individual diabetes education and training programs, medication management consultations, nutrition information, dietary tools, products and other services, Michael Johnsen reports in Drug Store News.

Read the whole story at New York Times, Drug Store News »

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