FDA Panel Recommends Arena’s Obesity Drug Lorcaserin

An agency advisory panel voted 18–4 with one abstention in favor of approval for Arena’s weight-loss drug lorcaserin. But panelists stressed the need for postmarket surveillance to monitor risks, particularly heart events. Despite the favorable vote, many Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee members expressed some degree of hesitation. Most said the drug met the agency’s efficacy standards, though the magnitude of weight loss was modest.
Washington Drug Letter