It looks like yet another miracle pill may be falling by the wayside. An April 23 AP article said it appears that a drug hat scientists had originally hoped would help people kick addictions and lose weight, might actually lead to increased risk of depression and suicide. It seems that the drug - which blocks pleasure sensors in the brain when people eat or smoke - may be doing its job too well.

Chantix, a drug made by Pfizer, Inc. to help people quit smoking, has been linked to “dozens of reports of suicides and suicidal behaviors” according to the AP article.

Two weight loss drugs, Rimonabant and Taranabant, work in the same manner as Chantix, and have also been tied to higher rates of depression and suicide. The AP article says researchers fear that blocking pleasure sensors in the brain could mean blocking out all sense of pleasure.

So basically, you’ll be thin and cigarette-free, but you’re not going to be able to enjoy your new found good looks and health because you’ll be home wallowing in a bottomless pit of despair? No thanks. Personally, I’d prefer to eat my macaroni and cheese with a smile on my face.

I’m not sure when people are going to realize that there is only one healthy way to lose weight: exercise and burn more calories than you consume on a daily basis. It sucks, but that is simply the long and the short of it.

I decided to do some research and find out the names of some of the latest drugs to arrive on the scene in so far this month. Here’s what I discovered (courtesy of Drugs.com):

• Treximet, formerly Trexima, is sumatriptan succinate and naproxen sodium. It is being developed as a novel combination of sumatriptan succinate and naproxen sodium in a single tablet for the acute treatment of migraine headaches. It was approved by the FDA on April 15.
• Patanase is olopatadine hydrochloride, a nasal spray designed to treat symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis in adults and children ages 12 and older. It was approved by the FDA on April 15.
• Lexiscan, or regadenoson, is an injection that acts as a Pharmacologic Stress Agent in Radionuclide Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (MPI), which is a test that detects and characterizes coronary artery disease, in patients unable to undergo adequate exercise stress. It was approved by the FDA on April 10.
• Rotarix an oral, two-dose, live attenuated vaccine for the prevention of rotavirus gastroenteritis in children, was approved by the FDA on April 3.

And perhaps more interesting, are some of the possible side effects of these drugs. I selected a few choice excerpts as the side effect and drug interaction disclaimers were rather lengthy and convoluted.

• Treximet may cause an increased risk of serious cardiovascular thrombotic events, myocardial infarction, and stroke, which can be fatal. This risk may increase with duration of use. Patients with cardiovascular disease or risk factors for cardiovascular disease may be at greater risk. Treximet contains a non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). NSAID-containing products cause an increased risk of serious gastrointestinal adverse events including bleeding, ulceration, and perforation of the stomach or intestines, which can be fatal. These events can occur at any time during use and without warning symptoms. Elderly patients are at greater risk for serious gastrointestinal events. Treximet is contraindicated in patients with history, symptoms, or signs of ischemic cardiac, cerebrovascular, or peripheral vascular syndromes and in patients with other significant underlying cardiovascular diseases. Treximet should not be given to patients in whom unrecognized coronary artery disease is predicted by the presence of risk factors without a prior cardiovascular evaluation. Treximet should not be given to patients with uncontrolled hypertension because the components have been shown to increase blood pressure…
• Patanase may cause bitter taste, headache, epistaxis, pharyngolaryngeal pain, post-nasal drip, cough, and urinary tract infection.
• Lexiscan may cause fatal cardiac arrest, life threatening ventricular arrhythmias, or myocardial infarction may be induced by pharmacologic stress agents. Cardiac resuscitation equipment and trained staff should be available before administering Lexiscan.
• Rotarix may cause crying, fussing, cough, runny nose, fever, loss of appetite and vomiting.

I have no doubt that these medications all have valid and commendable applications, but I always think it’s important to remind people to read the fine print. I also think it’s worth noting that four new drugs were approved in just under two weeks… so for better or worse, newcomer pharmaceuticals are making an entrance at a steady and rapid clip.

Saturday Night Live has done countless hilarious spoofs of prescription drug ads, and this one for Annuale is especially hilarious to me. I’ve always thought all these new-fangled birth control pills were a little frightening. I mean, while it would be of course fantastic to skip that time of the month, doesn’t it seem… well… err … just a little odd to skip it altogether for years at a time? Once again, the quest for convenience in a pill knows no bounds.