Obesity pill Qsymia gets FDA approval
8. Obesity has hit the United States, especially in Southern states. More unhealthy foods and less physical activity, especially in children, is highly to blame. According to the CDC, in 2010 every state had 20 percent or more of its population suffering from obesity.
For the first time in a decade, the FDA has approved a new diet drug.
The Food and Drug Administration hopes Qysmia will help it's fight against obesity in the US, according to ABC News.
The advisory panel voted 20 to two to approve the drug, saying the benefits outweigh the potential side effects, ABC News reported.
CBS News said the pill's approval comes after months of anticipation and deliberation. Qnexa will be sold under it's new name, Qsymia.
But some critics are warning against using it as a "magic bullet:"
"I do think it will help a subpopulation lose weight. However, I am concerned that mass marketing of this drug will perpetuate the magic bullet approach to weight loss, which is limiting and does not address the root problem," Dr. Gerard Mullin, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine told ABC News.
Qsymia combines determine, an amphetamine, and topiramate which is prescribed to prevent seizures and migraines and is supposed to make people feel full, the Los Angeles Times reported.
A study of the drug found between 62 percent and 69 percent of participants lost at least 5 percent of their body weight, the LA Times reported.
CBS News wrote phentermine was found in 'fen-phen' "which was tied to heart valve damage and taken off the market in 1997 resulting in a $13 billion settlement and tens of thousands of lawsuits."