FDA Approves New Weight Loss Drug
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom In a long awaited move, the FDA approved a “new” weight loss drug, Qnexa, this past July 18. Renaming it Qsymia (cue-sim-ee-a), it’s actually a lower-dose combination of two drugs already on the market. Not for casual weight loss, or those “last ten pounds,” Qsymia is approved for use in adults who are obese (BMI of 30+), or adults who are overweight (BMI 27+) and have at least one major illness, like high blood pressure, sleep apnea, or diabetes. This drug, intended for use along with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity, is a combination of an appetite suppressant (phentermine) and an anti-seizure medicine (topiramate), which has weight loss as a “side effect” of epilepsy treatment. While weight loss after one year of Qsymia — plus lifestyle changes — produced an average weight loss of 6 to 9 percent (an impressive outcome), many people lost a lot more, but some lost much less. There’s no guarantee of weight loss, and Qsymia is far from a “m...