Controversy Over Pharmacy Medicine Meridia Continues
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Pharmacy medicine News - The controversy over Meridia continues, with split views about its future from the FDA. The dieting drug has been under fire since a SCOUT study determined that those who took the drug faced an average 11% increase in developing cardiovascular disease. The study was initially carried out to show how heart disease and cardiovascular risks decreased with the use of Meridia, however it was found that the opposite was true for patients. So far, 14 deaths have been attributed to the use of Meridia.
The Fate of the Pharmacy Medicine
The FDA’s divided opinion, an 8 to 8 decision, comes after a discussion about the drug’s fate on Wednesday September 16. A negative decision would likely mean the prescription drug would be pulled off the U.S. pharmaceutical market, while a split decision still imperils the drug’s future. Even the panelists who were in favor of keeping Meridia on the market advised that the pharmacy medicine should only be prescribed by specially trained physicians.
In addition, if the pharmaceutical drug does stay on the market, a new black box warning label would be added to the packaging to remind physicians of the increased risks. All of the panelists who favored keeping Meridia on the market advised adding this extra advisory label.
Meridia has been on the U.S. market since 1997 and does work, producing at least a 4% weight loss in patients, with about 1/5 of patients losing more. The pharmacy medicine, however, may offset weight loss benefits with its side effects, an issue causing the most concern to the FDA. Be sure to stay tuned to PrescriptionDrugs.com for the latest, most reliable news in the world of prescription drugs.
