Singapore: Members of the Obesity Care Continuum (OCC) commended the US FDA for their continued proactive approach to ensuring safe obesity treatment options for the more than 93 million Americans affected by the disease.

July 17 marked the second time in less than a month that the FDA approved a new medication, Qsymia (phentermine and topiramate), for the treatment of obesity. In late June, Belviq (lorcaserin HCl) was also approved by the FDA.

Dr Patrick O'Neil, president, The Obesity Society (TOS), said that, "By approving another medication that will help healthcare professionals treat this disease more effectively, the FDA continues to show us that they are treating obesity seriously. Since obesity can arise from many causes, no single medication will work for everyone. This is a great step in the right direction, but, we must maintain our focus of developing even more treatments that are safe, effective, and accessible."

Mr Joe Nadglowski, president and CEO, Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), said that, "With the approval of these new treatments, we strongly encourage individuals affected by obesity to have the discussion of weight with their healthcare professional. Quite often, individuals affected avoid the conversation of weight due to a lack of treatment options. Thanks to the FDA's recent movement toward increasing options, Americans will now have more tools in the toolbox to address their weight and health."