New Zealand consumers face a long wait before they know if they can get a weight-loss pill which has been approved in the United States. It is the first to be given the legislative nod by US health regulators in 13 years.
Anti-obesity pill Belviq was designed to block appetite signals in the brain, making patients feel fuller with smaller amounts of food.
Manufacturer Arena Pharmaceutical is targeting adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater, or those with a BMI of 27 who also have high blood pressure, type-two diabetes or high cholesterol.
BMI estimates how much body fat a person has by dividing weight by height squared. A healthy BMI score is between 18.5 and 26.
In the United States, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) reviewed the safety of the drug in three trials lasting between 52 and 104 weeks. It involved more than 8000 overweight people.
Those who took Belviq for up to 12 months lost three to four percent more of their body weight than those who took a placebo. Possible side effects included migraines, depression and memory lapses.
Medsafe has not received an application for consent to distribute Belviq in New Zealand, Ministry of Health media advisor Anna Chalmers said.
Before a medicine is approved here an application must be lodged outlining its safety, quality and efficacy.
How long it took to be approved depended on how quickly the applicant addressed deficiencies or concerns raised, she said.
It would then have to be considered for funding by Pharmac, the government drug-buying agency.
See the original post:
Anti-obesity pill won't hit NZ yet
