Obesity Drug Discontinued

Obesity drug sibutramine pulled from US market due to FDA safety concerns.
The New York Times (10/9, B3, Pollack) reported, "The diet drug Meridia is being withdrawn from the market because it can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes." Meridia's manufacturer, Abbott Laboratories, "said on Friday that it was taking the action voluntarily but under pressure from the Food and Drug Administration." The "withdrawal of Meridia, also known as sibutramine, is the latest setback in efforts to provide a safe medicine to treat obesity, one of the nation's largest health problems."
The AP (10/8) reported, "Abbott Laboratories says it is withdrawing its diet pill Meridia in the US and Canada, almost a year after studies showed the drug increases the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients with a history of heart disease." European regulators "pulled the product off the market in January citing data showing that patients who had heart disease were more likely to have heart attacks or stroke while taking the drug."