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The Food and Drug Administration approved two new weight-loss drugs last summer, but neither has achieved blockbuster status, and industry analysts don't expect them to anytime soon.
Qsymia, manufactured by Vivus, has been available since last September. It's a combination product with two active ingredients - one that works to decrease appetite and another that helps increase feelings of fullness.
Belviq, manufactured by Arena Pharmaceuticals, has FDA approval but is still being reviewed by the Drug Enforcement Agency and isn't yet on the market.
According to a report by pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts, both drugs are approved for people who are obese (defined as having a body mass index greater than 30) or overweight (a BMI of at least 27) and who also have at least one other weight-related condition such as diabetes or high cholesterol.
"In clinical trials, 38% to 47% of patients who were taking Belviq lost at least 5% of their body weight, and between 62% and 69% of patients taking the recommended highest dose of Qsymia in clinical trials lost at least 5% of body weight," says Express Script's 2012 Q3 Drug Trend Quarterly.
Still, "these medications are not silver bullets - they come with serious side effects," says Anna Patrick, Pharm. D., a principal with Buck Consultants. "They still require patients...