lorcaserin
An experimental diet pill helped about half the people who tried it lose some weight and keep it off a year later, without the heart problems that some earlier drugs caused, a study found.
Arena Pharmaceuticals’ lorcaserin is one of three drugs that are boosting hope for a new generation of more effective weight-loss medicines. One gets a Food and Drug Administration review on Thursday and the others, later this year.
In the study, lorcaserin (lore-KASS-ah-rin) caused more people to lose at least 5 percent of their body weight over one year, more than twice the rate achieved by those on dummy pills.
Most people don’t stick to diets. And diet pills have had bad side effects or can’t be taken long-term. A low point came in 1997 when the popular “fen-phen” was pulled from the market after it was tied to heart valve problems.
But now comes lorcaserin, a round blue tablet that would be the first truly novel weight-loss pill in a dozen years if it wins approval. The drug targets the same appetite pathway fen-phen did but in a more selective, and perhaps safer, manner.
Results of a large company-funded study of it are in Thursday’s New England Journal of Medicine The results were twice the rate accomplished by those on dummy pills. Diet control and extensive physical exercise are not followed by many people. And diet pills available in market have had negative side effects or cannot be taken for a long time. The market of weight-loss medicine saw its worst phase in 1997 when the popular “fen-phen” was recalled from the market after it was proved that the medicine elevated heart valve problems.
But lorcaserin is considered as a major breakthrough in this regard. The round blue 
tablet is thought to be the first novel weight-loss pill in over two decades, if it receives approval. The drug hits at the same appetite pathway fen-phen did. But lorcaserin is more selective in nature, and perhaps safer that its sibling.
