WASHINGTON, July 13 (Reuters) - Three new weight-loss drugs are up for review before the Food and Drug Administration this year, including Vivus Inc's Qnexa that will be the focus of a hearing on Thursday.
The companies behind the new drugs hope to start a new chapter for obesity treatment, which has a troubled history marked with severe side effects and drugs pulled from the market.
Below is a list of approved obesity drugs, others that were on the market and discontinued, and those that await potential approval:
DISCONTINUED DRUGS
* Late 1800s - Thyroid extract was used as an early remedy for obesity, but resulted in hyperthyroidism and other serious side effects.
* 1930s - The drug dinitrophenol reduced weight but sped up metabolism so much that it resulted in cataracts and nerve malfunction. It was sold legally before the FDA had the power to regulate dangerous drugs.
* 1940s - Amphetamine was used as an obesity drug, though it proved addictive.
* 1960s - Rainbow pills, a combination of amphetamine, digitalis and diuretics, were linked to several deaths.
* 1971 - Aminorex, an appetite suppressant, was linked to cases of high blood pressure and removed from the European market.
* Sept. 1997 - The drug 'fen-phen,' a combination of fenfluramine and phentermine, was withdrawn. American Home Products Corp, later renamed Wyeth and since last year part of Pfizer Inc, marketed fen-phen until 1997, when fatal heart valve problems forced the diet cocktail off the market.
Phentermine is still considered safe at low doses. The company's other drug, Redux, also contained a related chemical dexfenfluramine and was also taken off the market in 1997.
* May 2009 - Widely used Hydroxycut-brand diet supplements were pulled from store shelves after reports of liver damage.
DRUGS ON THE MARKET
* Nov. 1997 - Meridia, now sold by Abbott Laboratories , was approved. The drug carries warnings about high blood pressure and a risk of heart attack and stroke in cardiovascular patients. It is no longer sold in Europe.
* April 1999 - Xenical, from Roche Holding AG, was approved. GlaxoSmithKline markets a lower-dose, over-the-counter version called Alli. But it can cause serious liver problems, uncontrolled bowel movements and gas.
DRUGS UP FOR APPROVAL
* July 15, 2010 - Vivus' Qnexa will be reviewed by an FDA advisory committee. The drug combines the appetite suppressant phentermine with the anti-seizure drug topiramate. A final approval decision is expected by Oct. 28.
* Sept. 16, 2010 - Lorcaserin, from Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc, is tentatively scheduled for FDA review on this date. The drug targets the part of the brain that controls metabolism and appetite.
* Dec. 7, 2010 - Contrave, from Orexigen Therapeutics Inc , is expected to be reviewed on this date. The drug is a combination of naltrexone, which is used to fight alcohol and drug addiction, and the antidepressant bupropion. It aims to target cravings, curb appetite and boost metabolism.
(Reporting by Jon Lentz) Keywords: OBESITY FACTBOX (+1 202 898 8347; jon.lentz@thomsonreuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
The companies behind the new drugs hope to start a new chapter for obesity treatment, which has a troubled history marked with severe side effects and drugs pulled from the market.
Below is a list of approved obesity drugs, others that were on the market and discontinued, and those that await potential approval:
DISCONTINUED DRUGS
* Late 1800s - Thyroid extract was used as an early remedy for obesity, but resulted in hyperthyroidism and other serious side effects.
* 1930s - The drug dinitrophenol reduced weight but sped up metabolism so much that it resulted in cataracts and nerve malfunction. It was sold legally before the FDA had the power to regulate dangerous drugs.
* 1940s - Amphetamine was used as an obesity drug, though it proved addictive.
* 1960s - Rainbow pills, a combination of amphetamine, digitalis and diuretics, were linked to several deaths.
* 1971 - Aminorex, an appetite suppressant, was linked to cases of high blood pressure and removed from the European market.
* Sept. 1997 - The drug 'fen-phen,' a combination of fenfluramine and phentermine, was withdrawn. American Home Products Corp, later renamed Wyeth and since last year part of Pfizer Inc, marketed fen-phen until 1997, when fatal heart valve problems forced the diet cocktail off the market.
Phentermine is still considered safe at low doses. The company's other drug, Redux, also contained a related chemical dexfenfluramine and was also taken off the market in 1997.
* May 2009 - Widely used Hydroxycut-brand diet supplements were pulled from store shelves after reports of liver damage.
DRUGS ON THE MARKET
* Nov. 1997 - Meridia, now sold by Abbott Laboratories , was approved. The drug carries warnings about high blood pressure and a risk of heart attack and stroke in cardiovascular patients. It is no longer sold in Europe.
* April 1999 - Xenical, from Roche Holding AG, was approved. GlaxoSmithKline markets a lower-dose, over-the-counter version called Alli. But it can cause serious liver problems, uncontrolled bowel movements and gas.
DRUGS UP FOR APPROVAL
* July 15, 2010 - Vivus' Qnexa will be reviewed by an FDA advisory committee. The drug combines the appetite suppressant phentermine with the anti-seizure drug topiramate. A final approval decision is expected by Oct. 28.
* Sept. 16, 2010 - Lorcaserin, from Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc, is tentatively scheduled for FDA review on this date. The drug targets the part of the brain that controls metabolism and appetite.
* Dec. 7, 2010 - Contrave, from Orexigen Therapeutics Inc , is expected to be reviewed on this date. The drug is a combination of naltrexone, which is used to fight alcohol and drug addiction, and the antidepressant bupropion. It aims to target cravings, curb appetite and boost metabolism.
(Reporting by Jon Lentz) Keywords: OBESITY FACTBOX (+1 202 898 8347; jon.lentz@thomsonreuters.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.