Diet drug recall from fda over cancer risk

Healthy diets and exercise are always recommended ahead of any prescription, but experts say these drugs can be important tools in the battle against obesity, which affects 40 percent of

American adults. Drugs can be recommended for those with a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or higher, or one of 27 or higher if it's accompanied by health problems such as high blood

pressure or Type 2 diabetes. Healthy diets and exercise are always recommended ahead of any prescription, but experts say these drugs can be important tools in the battle against obesity,

which affects 40 percent of American adults. If most patients can expect to lose between 5 and 10 percent of their weight with the proper diet and exercise, the FDA-approved diet drugs can

add another 5 to 7 percent loss, says Scott Lynch, medical director of the bariatric center at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. The drugs are not, however, one size fits all. Not

only do they work differently in the body, but some are used long term and others can be used only short term. Sometimes, Kaplan says, “patients need to be tried on different drugs” before

finding the right fit. IF YOU TOOK BELVIQ In its public comments recommending a voluntary recall of Belviq, the FDA stated that “the cause of the cancer is uncertain and we cannot conclude

that [Belviq] contributes to the cancer risk.” The FDA does not recommend that patients who have taken the drug get special cancer screening. Studies conducted since Belviq was approved for

use in 2012 found that of 1,200 patients taking it, about 7.7 percent were diagnosed with cancers, compared to 7.1 percent in a placebo group. Eisai, which manufactured the two formulations

of Belviq, complied with the FDA's request to remove the products from the market but noted that the drugs continue to have “a positive benefit-risk profile in the patient population

for which they are indicated." BETTER DIET DRUGS TO COME? As scientists learn more about weight regulation, pharmaceutical companies are working to develop safer medications that target

hormones and chemical messengers in the body called neurotransmitters, instead of metabolic pathways that can stress or damage the heart. “Our understanding of weight loss management is

still in development, but it's no longer just about calories in and out and willpower,” Lynch says.