FDA Advisory Comittee recommends Lorqess (Arena/Eisai)for weight loss

The FDA Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee has recommended approval for Lorqess(lorcaserin) as a prescription weight-loss medicine in an 18-4 vote with one abstention. The Committee considered that the available data demonstrated the potential benefits of weight loss with lorcaserin outweigh its possible risks of valvular heart disease, adverse cardiovascular events or malignancies when used long-term in a population of overweight and obese patients. FDA is expected to make its decision on lorcaserin by 27 June