FDA Advisers Recommend Approval of Combo Diet Drug

An FDA advisory panel voted on Tuesday to approve a new diet pill — a combination of the antidepressant bupropion and the anti-addiction drug naltrexone (brand name, Contrave) — the Associated Press reports.

A majority of the panel also asked for postmarketing research to investigate any potential heart risks, citing a lack of data on the combination's use in elders with a history of heart disease.

In studies of the pill, weight loss was, on average, 4.2% greater with bupropion/naltrexone than with placebo — not quite meeting the FDA's guideline for at least a 5% difference — according to the AP.

The agency is expected to make a decision early next year.