FIVE YEARS AFTER THE US FOOD AND Drug Administration (FDA) banned the popular
weight-loss drug fenfluramine after reports of heartvalve problems, three prescription weight-
loss drugs remain on the US market. Just two are approved for long-term use. Phentermine,
the first half of the infamous “Phen-Fen” combination, is still approved for shortterm use. In a
nation of 60 million obese adults, the drug industry should be hungry to treat the condition.
Yet, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) lists only 11 new …