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Article: New weight-loss drug. (Redux, or dexfenfluramine)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- FDA Consumer
- Article date:
- July 1, 1996
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 U.S. Government Printing Office. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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A prescription drug recently approved by FDA for losing weight can be used longer than previous anti-obesity products.
Redux (dexfenfluramine) is approved for weight loss and maintenance of weight loss in certain people on a low-calorie diet, but safety and effectiveness data on use beyond one year are unavailable. An aid in reducing food intake, Redux belongs to a class of appetite-suppressing drugs that release serotonin--a brain chemical associated with appetite reduction--and slow its depletion. Redux was approved April 29.
The new drug is for obese patients whose body mass index (BMI) is at least 30 (for example, someone at 5 feet 6 inches who weighs 185 ...