New Zealand natural sweetener maker BioVittoria has got the approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Fruit-Sweetness monk fruit concentrate. The company says its product is the first and the only natural zero-calorie fruit concentrate sweetener to win GRAS notification from the FDA so far. BioVittoria CEO David Thorrold says the notification now clears the way for its commercial application.

The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has recommended that the appetite suppressant sibutramine, should no longer be prescribed by doctors. People taking sibutramine should see their doctor to discuss an alternative, although it is safe to stop taking the drug in the meantime if they wish. The regulator has been conducting a review of safety and has concluded the increased risks of heart attacks and strokes do not outweigh the benefits.

For the full story, Click Here

The obesity epidemic is a staggering public health problem and despite increased attention and education, the WHO still predicts the number of obese adults worldwide to increase from 400 million to 700 million between 2005 and 2015. More and more people are turning to bariatric surgery as a last resort. Despite a slow economy, demand remains strong, even despite its being classified as an elective procedure for most individuals.

For the full story, Click Here

Kerala’s state promoted fisheries co-operative Matsyafed has developed a marine-based health product, that it claims would help in reducing obesity, as reported by the Press Trust of India (PTI). Extracted from the exoskeleton of fresh marine prawns, crabs and lobsters (chitosan), the product named ‘Chitone’ would hit the Indian market in December and its production has already started in agency’s Neendakara plant in Kollam.

Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. will pay as much as $1 billion to Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. to co-develop the U.S. company’s obesity treatments. The purchase may help Takeda buffer losses after Actos, its top seller with $4 billion generated for the year ended March 31, loses patent protection in January 2011. The drugmaker needs products to replace sales lost when U.S. regulators delayed approval of a combination diabetes therapy that includes Actos.

A report indicates that more “magic bullet” type anti-obesity drugs, Qnexa from Vivus, Lorcaserin hydrochloride from Arena Pharmaceuticals and Contrave from Orexigen, are destined to enter the FDA approval process soon. Reports are that obese patients who took one of the medications along with reducing calories and exercising lost about 15% of their starting weight in a 12-month period.

Orexigen Therapeutics announced that its obesity drug Empatic demonstrated significant weight loss in a Phase IIb clinical trial, intensifying the race for an anti-obesity drug. Empatic combines the antidepressant Wellbutrin with the anti-seizure drug zonisamide. Approximately 60% of patients given the maximum dose of Empatic lost 5% of their body weight, compared to 14.7% for the placebo. Patients who completed the 24-week trial lost weight at an average of 10%. The results exceeded FDA requirements for weight control drugs.

Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc’s experimental obesity pill lorcaserin met one of two federal weight-loss goals, a result sufficient to seek US approval of the drug. About 47% of patients on lorcaserin after one year of treatment lost 5% or more of their body weight compared with 25% of those taking a placebo, or dummy pill, Arena said in a statement.

Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc’s experimental obesity pill lorcaserin met one of two federal weight-loss goals, a result sufficient to seek US approval of the drug. About 47 percent of patients on lorcaserin after one year of treatment lost 5 percent or more of their body weight compared with 25 percent of those taking a placebo, or dummy pill, Arena said.

The Daily Telegraph has reported that the number of children taking anti-obesity drugs has risen 15 times over the last decade. A study of data from GPs between 1999 and 2006 indicates that up to 1,300 children and teenagers are being prescribed the drugs every year, even though they are not licensed for use by children. The newspaper said that most prescriptions “were for 14-year-olds, although 25 prescriptions were written for children under the age of 12”.