The
nitty gritty on Belviq, which is the new trade name for Lorcaserin (ADP-356),
is that it was first rejected by the FDA on September 16, 2010, based on
concerns over safety and efficacy. Then, after further studies by the
manufacturer (Arena Pharmaceuticals), the FDA reversed its position and on June
27, 2012, approved its use, with definite restrictions. Those restrictions are
that it be used only for the treatment of obesity in adults with a BMI (Body
Mass Index) of at least 30, or in adults with a BMI of at least 27 and who,
"�have at least
weight-related health condition, such as hypertension, type two diabetes, or
high cholesterol."
Belviq-Lorcaserin Approval Details
Hmm.
I suppose this means that doubts about the safety and efficacy of this drug are
moot in the event you are large or in bad health.
How Does It Work?
Biochemists
call lorcaserin a "selective 5-HT2C receptor agonist." Translated,
this means that it activates those parts of the brain (receptors) where a
serotonin precursor (5-HT) works. Yup, it is another attempt by our friendly
drug manufacturers to fool you in to feeling full so you will cease eating
sooner. The jargon is to "promote weight loss through satiety."
It
is bad that this approach to designing a weight loss drug is doomed to fail,
because it depends on the flawed �Calories In/Calories
Out' strategy. This is a simple-minded strategy that is clearly ineffective.
The human body is not a furnace for burning calories. It is a complex set of
metabolic processes that must be taken in to account for optimizing metabolism.
The
FDA accepts remarkably low standards for any new weight loss drug: at least
five percent loss of body weight within 12 months. Overall results for
lorcaserin show an average of three to three.7 percent weight loss over a year.
In the event you start out at 250 pounds, on average you can expect to lose 7.5
to 9.25 pounds. However, the saving grace for this drug in the eyes of the FDA
is that 47 percent of patients without diabetes lost at least five percent of
their body weight. It squeaked in at the maximum standard � whoopee!
Clinical Results
For
comparison, modifying your diet by choosing the right foods and eating at the
right times can provide weight loss of two pounds per week with very small hard
work. And in the event you add a small of the right kinds of exercise, you can
speed up it even more. think, eating right and exercising right outdo the only
new weight loss drug that the FDA has approved historicallyin the past 13
years. Is not that fascinating?
Oh,
other small observation to note about clinical results with lorcaserin: when
patients stopped taking the drug, they gained their weight back. Gee, it looks
like another �drug for life' from Large Pharma. One time you get your
first prescription, which ought to be available by early 2013, you require to
keep taking it as long as you live.
Side Effects
So
far the side effects have been minimized to include only a slight chance of
depression, migraine, and memory lapses. Stay tuned.
Comments
Post a Comment