FDA advisory committee votes against Eisai-Arena obesity drug

SAN DIEGO An advisory committee of the Food and Drug Administration has given a thumbs-down to a drug for treating obesity.

Eisai and Arena Pharmaceuticals said Thursday that the FDA’s Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 9-5 to recommend against approval of the drug lorcaserin, saying clinical trial data did not adequately show that its benefits would outweigh its risks.

While the FDA is not bound by advisory committee recommendations, it takes them into account when deciding whether or not to grant approval to a drug.