Back to the StairMaster, everybody: Latest obesity drug disappoints

Updated

Among weight loss pills, the Holy Grail is a drug that is safe and really zaps the fat. As of now, the search is still on.

Obesity drug lorcaserin got the safety part down: results from a very large trial -- 4,008 patients -- didn't appear to show the heart valve problems associated with some previous drugs. However, when it comes to fat busting, the conclusion was less impressive: participants who took high doses of the drug over a year lost 3.1 percent more of their body weight than those who took a placebo. As Forbes notes, while the results are statistically significant, the data suggest that a 200-pound person on the drug would only shed only six pounds more than someone taking dummy pills.

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