Approval for a new prescription strength weight loss pill, called Orexigen, is expected to come from the FDA, leading to speculation as to whether or not prescription diet pills can carve out a place in the market.

Orexigen is not the first product of this kind to attempt to garner big sales. However, none of its predecessors have met with much success. Instead, one drug could not gain FDA approval while the other two were approved but were not successful or deemed safe enough by insurance companies for them to grant coverage for the prescriptions. Both of the older approved drugs were classified as controlled substances amidst concern for dependency and abuse, which greatly reduced willingness of medical professionals to recommend the medication to their patients.

Orexigen seems to be a bit better suited for acceptance among medical professionals. Preliminary reports on the outcome of a study involving 10,000 participants show that many prerequisites to approval laid out by the FDA have been met. This testing specifically addressed the cardiovascular risks of taking the drug and the results seem to be positive, though testing has not yet concluded.

One problem that might hold back sales is the less-than-impressive weight loss rate associated with the pill. Thus far the drug only boasts a five percent drop in weight for those who are using it.

Takeda Pharmaceuticals is slated to take over marketing for North America. With an impressive history of marketing diabetes medication and a plan to send out 900 representatives to visit medical professionals in person to discuss Orexigen, speculation is that this is the best hope of weight loss pills to break into the pharmaceutical market.

Succeeding in the market will not necessarily be easy, even with FDA approval. A weight loss pill with mild results may not hold up against recommendations from other agencies regarding the treatment of obesity. For example, in 2013, the American Medical Association announced that treatment for obesity should center on the concept that obesity is a disease and much less a matter of just losing weight. If this recommendation is embraced by medical professionals, there may not be the support necessary for this drug to earn big money.