In this latest study, the researchers tested two different doses of lorcaserin - a once-daily 10-milligram dose, in addition to the twice-daily dose used in the earlier studies.

Both were effective, the researchers found. Of patients on the lower daily dose, 40 percent lost at least five percent of their body weight. In the higher-dose group, 47 percent dropped that much weight.

A five-percent weight loss is modest - equivalent to taking 10 pounds off a 200-pound frame, for instance. But studies show that shedding even that amount can have “beneficial effects” on obesity-related health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure and High cholesterol, noted Arena’s vice-president for lorcaserin development Dr. Christen M. Anderson, who worked on the study.

The current findings also strengthen evidence that lorcaserin does not carry the heart-valve risks of some older weight-loss drugs, Anderson told Reuters Health in an email.

Two percent of patients on twice-daily lorcaserin developed heart-valve problems. The percentage was the same in the placebo group.

The most common side effects of the drug were headache, nausea and dizziness.

For now, the drug options are few for obese people who fail to lose weight through diet changes and exercise alone.

The only one approved for long-term use is orlistat (Xenical), which is also available as a lower-dose, over-the-counter version called Alli. But Xenical has its issues as well, including side effects of gas, uncontrolled bowel movements and cases of serious liver problems.

SOURCE:  Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, online July 27, 2011.

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by Amy Norton