FDA Panel Votes in Favor of Weight Loss Pill Qnexa, Would You Take It? – Survey of the Day

A panel of medical experts voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to endorse the controversial weight-loss drug Qnexa, clearing the way for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve a new prescription obesity medication for the first time since 1999. The 20-2 vote in favor of Qnexa was a surprising reversal from 2010, when the same panel decided the drug's risks of heart problems and birth defects outweighed its weight-loss benefits. If prescribed, would you take the risks to lose the weight? 

The vote was 20-2 in favor of Qnexa, a combination of two drugs that have long been on the market: the appetite suppressant phentermine and topiramate, which is used to treat seizures and migraines. A final decision is expected from the FDA by April 17. Although the agency does not have to follow this recommendation, it often backs the decisions of its advisory panels.

In a clinical trial involving 4,323 people, Qnexa — a combination of the anticonvulsant drug topiramate and the appetite suppressant phentermine — led to an average loss of about 10 percent of total body weight in the first year of use. Many users also saw improvements in blood pressure.

The trials also found that the drug caused a slight increase in heart rate, which can boost the odds of a heart attack or stroke. In addition, researchers detected an increased risk of birth defects in women who became pregnant while taking the drug.