After a series of tests, FDA advisors have decided to accept the weight-loss drug called Qnexa despite the negative effects it might have on people’s health. Huffington Post relates that a group of medical experts voted on Wednesday whether the drug should be accepted or not. Since great part of the votes was in favor of Qnexa, the Food and Drug Administration was forced to accept a new prescription obesity medication.
The final ruling will be issued later this year; however, the decision of the FDA advisors will not suffer any modifications by then. Qnexa was rejected in 2010 because medical experts found that the weight-loss drug was related to various health problems, such as, heart attacks and birth defects. Despite this, 20 advisors voted in favor of the drug, whereas only 2 persons believed that the medicine was too dangerous to be approved.
Qnexa was tested on 4,323 people who were suffering of weight disorders. The respondents lost 10% of total body weight after taking the pills on a daily basis for a year. Their blood pressure was also improved due to these pills containing an anticonvulsant drug called topiramate and an appetite suppressant named phentermine.
The percentage of adverse drug reactions was bigger than the advantages that patients obtained after the use of the medicine. According to the doctors who performed the tests, many respondents suffered from increased heart rate after taking the drugs. As a consequence, the drug might cause people to suffer heart attacks. In addition, many pregnant women gave birth to children with cleft lips after taking the drug during pregnancy.
Qnexa is produced by Vivus Inc an American drug manufacturer which is specialized in creating pills for sleep, anxiety and weight-loss. The company reassured FDA advisors that Qnexa is not a dangerous drug as long as it is properly used. For that, they suggested that Qnexa was administered only with prescription. They also suggested that the drug shouldn’t be prescribed to pregnant women in order to avoid cleft lip disorders. The FDA advisors agreed with Vivus’ propositions and the drug will be available in specialized stores again.
