A drug called sibutramine (Meridia) that is already on the market, is being evaluated for the risks and benefits by the Food and Drug Administration. There has been evidences that some people might be at a risk of developing heart diseases.

About 3,000 overweight or obese people went in for a phase-three study and witnessed more weight-loss after taking the experimental compound lorcaserin after a year as compared to those who were taking a placebo.

About five per cent of body weight was lost by over 47 per cent of the people taking lorcaserin as compared to about 20.3 per cent of people who took the placebo.

It was also found that heart rate, blood pressure, insulin resistance and cholesterol were also better in people who took the lorcaserin.

Dr. Arne Astrup, an obesity expert at the University of Copenhagen, stated that the effects on the drug for weight loss is comparable to two drugs already on the market. But lorcaserin takes lead when it comes to safety and beneficial effects on the heart.

He stated, "The justification for using lorcaserin to manage obesity is not greater efficacy than currently available drugs, but rather an apparently much better safety and adverse-event profile and very clear-cut beneficial effects on risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”