The Checkup: Weight-Loss Pill Up for FDA Approval

• California-based drug manufacturer Vivus Inc. is seeking approval from the Federal Drug Administration for a weight-loss drug called Qnexa. If approved, the drug would become the first medication for weight loss available for prescription use. The Los Angeles Times reports that Vivus sought approval for the drug last year but was denied because it’s been shown to cause birth defects in women who become pregnant while taking it. So now the company proposing including a label that excludes use among women of child-bearing age. Read more here.

• If you’ve beaten breast cancer, you might want to lay off carbs, according to a new study out this week which links carbohydrates with a higher rate of cancer recurrence in survivors. The biggest culprit? Starches. More on the study here.

• And just in time for the weekend, Men’s Health is reporting on an algae-laced beer being produced in San Antonio. I suppose that’s one way to get your greens.