Lorcaserin
Lorcaserin is
a possible future diet pill being developed by Arena Pharmaceuticals out of California.
And unlike Qnexa and Contrave that are combination drugs, Lorcaserin finds itself as a single new drug being experimented
with. Chemically, Lorcaserin has a similar make up to that dreaded
drug Fenfluramine, which was gained its reputation from the now infamous Phen-Fen.
But unlike Phen-Fen, Lorcaserin has not been shown to cause any heart value
problems. In fact it looks as if Lorcaserin has shown the least of the side effects
compared to Qnexa and Contrave.
However, with its lower side effects also comes a less potent drug
for weight loss. This however may prove to be what saves Lorcaserin. Some of the
past diet pills have been pulled in certain countries, Rimonabant and Sibutramine
for example are no longer available in most European Countries due to side
effects and Rimonabant never made it past the FDA due to side effects. If the
FDA is strict on the side effects issue, Lorcaserin may be able to squeak past
the regulators where some of the others may be rejected. Inversely, it may be viewed
by the FDA that Lorcaserin is not effective enough to be passed, even though
it meets their requirements of at least one third of the patients lose 5% of
their body mass. Some possible side effects associated with Lorcaserin are headache,
dizziness, dry mouth, fatigue, nausea but overall tolerated fairly well.
Another potential
saving grace for Lorcaserin is that in studies released, it was shown to have
a low chance of abuse potential. It is very unlikely that people would be obtaining
this medication to feel elated. Other diet drugs may not be able to make the
same claim such as Phentermine. This also may encourage some doctors to prescribe
such a medication knowing there is a low chance that any of their patients
will then become addicted to it and be trying to obtain it through illegal means.
It was on December 22nd 2009 that Arena Pharmaceuticals
submitted Lorcaserin to the Federal Drug and Food Administration to review it in
hopes of approval. It will probably be around October 2010 when anyone hears
back about its approval or not. Our thoughts is that while Lorcaserin may not be
as effective as some of the other diet medications out there, the low side effects
and low chance of abuse make it an excellent medication for those needing
help. It is possible that if Qnexa or Contrave are approved, that some doctors may try obese patients on one of those and if the
side effects are too great for one to bear or other interactions happen, than
Lorcaserin maybe used. This is just mere speculation however and holds no grounds
for any debate. The argument behind this statement originates from a doctor
hinting at the prospect that Lorcaserin may not be strong enough in his opinion
and that the others seem more likely for weight loss success. But many physicians
would rather start with Lorcaserin and progress to other treatments if deemed
necessary.
More information on Lorcaserin including updated news.
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