WASHINGTON, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Three new weight-loss drugs are up for Food and Drug Administration review this year. One is Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc's <ARNA.O> candidate Lorqess or lorcaserin, the focus of a public meeting on Sept. 16. [N02250190]
The companies behind the drugs hope to start a new chapter for obesity treatment, which has a troubled history marked with severe side effects and drugs pulled from the market.
Below is a list of approved obesity drugs, others that were on the market and discontinued, and those that await potential approval:
DISCONTINUED DRUGS
* Late 1800s - Thyroid extract was used as an early remedy for obesity, but resulted in hyperthyroidism and other serious side effects.
* 1930s - The drug dinitrophenol reduced weight but sped up metabolism so much that it resulted in cataracts and nerve malfunction. It was sold legally before the FDA had the power to regulate dangerous drugs.
* 1940s - Amphetamine was used as an obesity drug, though it proved addictive.
* 1960s - Rainbow pills, a combination of amphetamine, digitalis and diuretics, were linked to several deaths.
* 1971 - Aminorex, an appetite suppressant, was linked to cases of high blood pressure and removed from the European market.
* Sept. 1997 - Fenfluramine, part of the "fen-phen," drug combination was withdrawn from the market. American Home Products Corp, later renamed Wyeth and since last year part of Pfizer Inc <PFE.N>, sold fen-phen until it was pulled from the market because of heart valve problems.
Phentermine, the other part of the "fen-phen" combination, is still considered safe at low doses. The company's other drug, Redux, also contained a related chemical dexfenfluramine and also was taken off the market in 1997.
* May 2009 - Widely used Hydroxycut-brand diet supplements were pulled from store shelves after reports of liver damage.
DRUGS ON THE MARKET
* Nov. 1997 - Meridia, now sold by Abbott Laboratories <ABT.N>, was approved. The drug carries warnings about high blood pressure and a risk of heart attack and stroke in cardiovascular patients. It is no longer sold in Europe. An FDA advisory panel meets on Wednesday to consider if the United States should take tougher action.
* April 1999 - Xenical, from Roche Holding AG <ROG.VX>, was approved. GlaxoSmithKline <GSK.L> markets a lower-dose, over-the-counter version called Alli. But it can cause serious liver problems, uncontrolled bowel movements and gas.
DRUGS UP FOR APPROVAL
* Sept. 16, 2010 - Lorcaserin goes before an FDA panel on this date. The drug targets a part of the brain that controls metabolism and appetite.
* Oct. 28, 2010 - FDA is expected to decide whether to approve diet pill Qnexa made by Vivus Inc <VVUS.O>. The drug combines the appetite suppressant phentermine with the anti-seizure drug topiramate. An FDA panel in July voted 10-6 against recommending approval. [N15201757]
* Dec. 7, 2010 - Contrave, from Orexigen Therapeutics Inc <OREX.O>, is expected to be reviewed on this date. The drug is a combination of naltrexone, which is used to fight alcohol and drug addiction, and the antidepressant bupropion. It aims to target cravings, curb appetite and boost metabolism. (Reporting by Jon Lentz and Lisa Richwine; editing by Carol Bishopric)
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