Diet pills are highly in demand in America, and another one is about to enter the market Contrave, a new diet pill, was finally approved by the Food and Drug Administration, The drug is known to treat obesity and is the third of its kind. As of this writing there is still no information as to when this pill would be available to the U.S. market, as well as the retail price.
The pill is made by Orexigen Therapetutics, Inc. and combines Orexigen's naltrexone formulation which keeps drug dependence at bay, and antidepressant bupropion.
The FDA purposely delayed its approval for three months because of issues on adequate warnings on the packaging.
The warnings written on the packaging are highly crucial, since Contrave contains an antidepressant and therefore will carry a warning that indicates the possibility of increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
As the third drug of its kind, Contrave is now eyeing to unseat Qsymia by Vivus Inc. and Belviq by Arena Pharmaceuticals as the pill of choice to treat obesity. Both pills were approved in 2012. An analyst expects that by 2016, Contrave might top its rivals.
Before their launch, Qysmia and Belviq were both expected to take the market by storm, but failed marketing strategies and adverse effects had caused them to settle for mediocre sales. It was reported that the two drugs pose certain effects such as depression and heart risks, and faces problems with reimbursement. Private health insurance companies and the government both show reluctance in covering Qysmia and Belviq due to their doubts about the drugs' long-term efficacy.
A number of patients also drop out of treatment. According to analyst Daniel Lang of RS Investments, only 30 to 40 percent of health organizations pay for obesity treatments. Apparently this "speaks to the relative apathy toward obesity as a serious condition," he said.
