The new weight loss drug Belviq© just got a step closer to
being available to prescribe in the US. The medication had been approved by the
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last
June: however, Arena Pharmaceuticals was waiting for the Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) to classify Belviq. Finally, yesterday the drug has been
classified as a schedule
IV drug (i.e. with low prospective of abuse).
The sale of this medication is therefore scheduled to begin
30 days after publication in the Federal Register, which happened yesterday (8
May 2013).
This
medication will be available to overweight and obese individuals to help reduce
the body weight, along with a healthy and correct nutrition. The active
ingredient of this medication is lorcaserin. The details of how the medication
works are still unknown: however what it is known is that the substance activates
selectively certain serotonin 2C brain receptors and therefore changes the
perception of satiation of the patient. Therefore the individual feels full faster.
Side effects of the drug include fatigue, somnolence, impairment of memory and
confusion. Therefore patients should be monitored by a doctor especially when
starting the first cycle of medication.
We want to
highlight that this medication has just been approved in the United States and
not in Europe. An application has been filed in the EU but no decision has yet been
made.