Belviq: New Weight Loss Drug Approved in US

Need to lose some bodyfat? For the first time in 13 years, the FDA has approved a new weight loss drug -- one it initially rejected a couple years ago. Experts believe the move is part of the government's attempts to help control the skyrocketing obesity epidemic in North America.

According to Cowen & Co analyst Simos Simeonidis:

"It appears that the agency's view has officially shifted towards 'not treating obesity is a risk in and of itself, so we're willing to put drugs in the market in order to help people lose weight, even if there's risk associated'."

Belviq is the brand name for lorcaserin and it's expected to become a billion-dollar product within a short amount of time. The new diet drug works by altering "hunger" signals in the brain, so users feel full on significantly less calories. In clinical studies, users lost five percent of their bodyweight (about 12 lbs) on average -- not a huge amount of weight but enough to make a big difference in the health of obese patients.

Belviq is only approved for use in obese adults with a BMI of 30 or more or in those with a BMI of 27 or more who have at least one health problem related to their weight. So if you're overweight and have type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc you can qualify for a Belviq prescription from your doctor.

We say: These weight loss drugs almost always have side-effects that make them a dangerous way to lose weight. Clean eating and regular exercise is a MUCH better option for those of use who need to lose a few pounds!

Learn some mo': FDA OKs first obesity drug in 13 years

New Drug Might Kill All Viruses

Doctors may soon be able to prescribe a drug that kills all viruses, according to new research from MIT. DRACO is a novel broad-spectrum treatment that appears to cause virus-infected cells in the body to commit suicide, eventually killing (or at least controlling) the infection throughout the body.

A recent study found that DRACO effectively kills 15 different virus types in both human and animal cells, including polio, dengue fever, a stomach virus, various types of hemorrhagic fever (including the scary-deadly Ebola virus), the H1N1 "swine" flu virus, and even the common cold! According to Todd Rider, DRACO's inventor and a top researcher at MIT:

“In theory, it should work against all viruses."

Basically the new anti-viral drug works by telling an infected cell to kill itself before a virus can replicate inside of it. In effect it manipulates the cell's natural defense mechanisms in a way that wipes out a virus before it can produce many copies of itself.

The best news is that, according to experts, viruses may not be able to become resistant to the effects of DRACO the way they do to many other anti-viral compounds. There is simply no direct pathway to resistance because the drug really acts on the cell, not on the virus itself. Scientists are hoping DRACO will be the virus "cure-all" we've been waiting for for thousands of years!

Learn some mo': New drug could cure nearly any viral infection

Anti-Alzheimer's / Memory Booster Pill Might Be Coming Soon

Scientists may be on the verge of creating a drug that reverses Alzheimer's syndrome and dramatically boosts the memory. New research has identified a powerful gene in mice that gives them "super memory" powers and fights off the negative effects of several degenerative mental illnesses, including Alzheimer's.

Mice brains and human brains are surprisingly similar so some in the scientific community believe a drug could be developed based on harnessing the power of this brain-boosting super gene. Researchers found that it blocks the release of a another gene -- called PKR -- that triggers the beginning of Alzheimer's disease. Aside from protecting the brain it appears to greatly increase the memory recall abilities of mice.

 According to lead researcher Maura Costa-Mattioli:

 "If we were to find an inhibitor, a molecule, a drug that will specifically block PKR, we should be able to do the same [in humans]... And we did. We recognize that PKR plays a dual role, one in regulating simple everyday processes like the way neurons talk to each other [for] memory, but also has a stress response." 

 We say: It seems like by now they should have Alzheimer's cured or at least "contained". And we would LOVE a pharmaceutical memory booster that really works. So get it done science geeks!!

Learn some mo': Could this be the cure for Alzheimer's? Scientists say memory-boosting pill could be coming soon

Adipotide: A "Dream" Drug for Fast Weight Loss?

Adipotide is a relatively simple drug that may become the "dream" solution for fast weight loss in overweight people. It was created as a novel cancer treatment but, while it was being tested, researchers found that it causes rapid fat loss and even improves metabolic function -- at least in mice and monkeys -- without diet or exercise changes. The good news is that drugs that work in primates usually have similar effects in humans.

The pharmaceutical industry has been desperately trying to find a new weight loss drug that works without a bunch of risky side effects. Experts are saying that adipotide may very well be that drug. It functions by killing the blood supply to adipose cells (aka bodyfat) and in turn reducing their number.

Overweight "couch potato" monkeys who received only about a month's worth of daily adipotide injections lost an average of 11 percent of their total body weight and nearly 40% of their bodyfat stores. That's a HUGE amount of weight and fat loss, especially in such a short time frame! The injections caused the monkeys to eat fewer calories and lose belly fat. They also underwent positive metabolic changes that may prevent Type 2 diabetes and other obesity-related health problems.

The researchers behind the unique chemical compound have already applied for FDA approval of human trials and expect them to begin within a year.

According to head researcher Wadih Arap:

"It is incredibly exciting, a dream coming true in slow motion."

We say: A drug that allows couch potatoes to lose 40% of their belly fat in a month without exercising or dieting... are you kidding us?? If this thing gets approved it'll sell about $100 billion in the first week!

Learn some mo': Drug helps monkeys lose weight, are humans next?

Lorcaserin: New Diet Pill May Be Less-Risky Weight Loss Option

An experimental new diet pill called lorcaserin may help obese and overweight people lose weight and keep it off over time. And it may do it with the health risks -- including heart problems -- of other similar-type drugs.

In one study, lorcaserin helped people lose at least 5% of their body weight -- an average of 13 pounds -- over the course of a year. It was able to provide significant results without any noticeable health problems. It's a cousin of fen-phen and works in the same appetite-suppressing manner but in a safer, more selective manner.

In the study, only half of the participants stuck with it over the course of a year. But more of the people taking lorcaserin stayed with it than those taking a placebo, suggesting that side effects were no a significant problems.

Drug maker Arena Pharmaceuticals hopes that their new diet product will be approved by the FDA and become a major player in the world of weight loss medicine.

Learn some mo': Experimental diet pill shows promise, little risk