FDA Panel Approves Use Of Weight Loss Drug Qnexa
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
A new weight loss drug is one step closer to hitting the market.
The drug Qnexa was overwhelmingly approved by a panel of advisors reporting to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The pill had previously been rejected over safety concerns after first being submitted in 2010.
But panelists ultimately supported the drug by a 20-to-2 vote, while recommending further study to confirm the drug's side effects, especially on the heart.
Patients reported seeing a 10 percent loss in their overall weight after being on the medication for a year.
A final decision by the FDA is expected in April.
Qnexa would become the first anti-obesity medication to hit the American market in more than a decade.
In other health news, there is new evidence that colonoscopy exams can be relied on to save lives.
The study shows removing precancerous cells during the exam can cut the risk of death in half.
Up until now research has not proven that removing the cells would improve survival.
Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. -- more than 143,000 new cases were discovered this year.
Government experts say all adults between the ages of 50 and 75 should get screened.