Meridia splits FDA panel down the middle
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
The future of Abbott's obesity drug Meridia (sibutramine) in the US market got foggier on 15 September when half of a 16-member FDA advisory committee voted to have it removed from the market on safety grounds. What was made clear from the comments of the advisory panel is that the FDA needs to provide companies with better guidance on what new obesity drugs must prove to secure approval.