Weight Loss Drug for Diabetic Patients?

Lorcaserin (Belviq), a selective serotonin 2C–receptor agonist, modulates appetite and facilitates modest weight loss. Although related drugs have caused serious cardiovascular (CV) side effects, data from a large, FDA-mandated, postmarketing CV safety trial (NEJM JW Cardiol Oct 2018 and N Engl J Med 2018; 379:1107) suggest that lorcaserin does not confer excess CV risk. Investigators now report metabolic outcomes from that trial.

Researchers randomized 12,000 obese or overweight patients with established CV disease or multiple CV risk factors to lorcaserin (10 mg) or placebo twice daily. Patients (median age, 64; 64% men; median body-mass index, 35 kg/m²) were categorized at baseline as diabetic (57%), prediabetic (33%), or normoglycemic (1…