New Diet Pill Nears FDA Approval

Contrave is one step closer to being the first new prescription diet pill on the market in a decade, clearing the panel that is a key part of FDA approval on Tuesday. The FDA usually follows the panel’s recommendations and will vote on Contrave by Jan. 31. Although Contrave was found to have some heart risks, the panel said the long-term potential of the drug outweighed that risk and further study of the heart risks will be done after approval. The drug, developed by Orexigen Therapeutics Inc., is a combination of two approved medications that target the parts of the brain that influence appetite and cravings. It contains bupropion, an antidepressant used to aid smoking cessation, and naltrexone, a treatment for alcohol and painkiller addiction. The drug could be a huge moneymaker, as it is expected to bring in peak sales of $1 billion in 2016.