FDA Approves Contrave, a New Prescription Diet Pill

The FDA approved Contrave on Wednesday, a new prescription diet pill geared toward obese people suffering from high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol.

Contrave, a combination of two previously FDA-approved drugs for addiction and depression, is specifically for adults with a body mass index of more than 30 — or with a BMI of 27 or greater along with one other obesity-related condition, The Washington Post reported.

"Obesity continues to be a major public health concern," Dr. Jean-Marc Guettier, director of the Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products at the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement.

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"When used as directed in combination with a healthy lifestyle that includes a reduced-calorie diet and exercise, Contrave provides another treatment option for chronic weight management for people who are obese or are overweight and have at least one weight-related health condition," Guettier continued.

The FDA reported that, in clinical trials, 42 percent of patients using Contrave lost at least 5 percent of their body weight, which is considered significant weight loss.

Because Contrave contains buproprion, which is used to treat depression, the FDA recommends that users be monitored by physicians for any suicidal thoughts or behaviors — a common side effect associated with antidepressant drugs, Forbes noted.

The FDA also warned that Contrave can cause seizures and increase blood pressure and should not be used by people with hard-to-control hypertension.

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