European drug advisors reject Qsiva (Qsymia) diet drug based on safety concerns

Advisors for the European Union’s health agency has again recommended against approving the new weight loss drug Qsiva, made by Vivus Inc. The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use raised concerns about the cardiovascular safety of the drug, saying it would need more data proving its safety before it would reconsider its rejection. Qsiva is a combination of two FDA-approved drugs – phentermine, an appetite suppressant, and topiramate, used to treat epilepsy and migraines. Phentermine was part of the fen-phen diet drug cocktail that was popular in the 1990s, but was pulled from the market after studies showed the ... Read More