Posts Tagged ‘FDA’

Vivus will be carefully expanding the distribution for their newly launched obesity treatment, Qsymia, with approval from the FDA. Until now, Qsymia was sold through a tightly controlled distribution system of mail order pharmacies. While that system may have been effective to assure safe use early in the drug’s introduction, it also created hardships for […]

Food policy engenders conflict with an intensity that echoes historic religious conflicts. Battles over labeling for genetically modified (or GMO) foods are the latest example. A messy rift in a committee of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics charged with developing a position statement on GMO foods erupted into headlines this week. The New York […]

Big candy wants its say in the national dialogue about obesity. Ad Age and other industry sources report that the National Confectioners Association (NCA) is in talks with four PR agencies to award a two to three million dollar budget and fight the notion that candy might have something to do with obesity. Greater FDA regulation […]

Some cities, including Chicago, and schools are considering a ban on energy drinks. According to Ed Burke, the alderman who has proposed the ban in Chicago, “This is an issue that’s starting to resonate around the country.” A study cited by Burke from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) showed that visits […]

Acting on behalf of the FDA, U.S. Marshals seized weight-loss supplements last week from a Florida company, Globe All Wellness. According to FDA, the products were seized because they contained an unapproved drug, sibutramine, that was not disclosed on the product label, and the company made unsubstantiated disease claims that require FDA approval. “Companies that […]

Continuing a trend of renewed investment in obesity treatment research, Vanderbilt University yesterday announced a research agreement with GlaxoSmithKline on new treatments for severe obesity. This investment in targeting severe obesity is noteworthy. It marks a departure from failed strategies of pursuing weight loss for broad populations that some have characterized as a search for miracle […]

Prescription medication guides required by FDA are too complex to be useful to the patients they are intended to help, according to a study of suitability, readability, and comprehension published int the December issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.  Medication guides for patients are increasingly important, serving as a key tool to diminish potential medication […]

Another insurer jumped on the obesity coverage bandwagon, which means more good news for people seeking treatment options. Vivus announced its drug, Qsymia, will now be covered by ExpressScripts, the largest U.S. pharmacy benefits manager. Express Scripts will carry Qsymia in its national formulary as a standard option, meaning patients who go through ExpressScripts as […]

A number of developments in the works suggest that 2013 could be a pivotal year for childhood nutrition policy, with measures such as advertising curbs, taxes, or even bans in the spotlight. The Food Marketing Workgroup, a collection of advocacy organizations, started a chain of events in 2007 that are coming together now. Forbesrecently published […]

In a recently issued report, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) published data supporting the need and practicality of posting nutrition information for prepared food sold in grocery and convenience stores under previsions of the Affordable Care Act. Restaurants, including fast food outlets, are already moving ahead with this requirement.