medical experts are recommending approval of the diet pill qnexa despite risky side effects. and chip reid on a new national museum that will tell the story of a long struggle for freedom. >> they weren't mine. they belonged to the world. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: good evening. "shameless brutality." those are the words the united states chose today to describe bashar al-assad's allout military assault on syria's freedom movement. the 40-year dictatorship of the assad family seems bent on crushing the citizens' rebellion that began nearly a year ago. today civilians in homs-- a city of more than 1.5 million-- suffered through their 19th day of artillery bombardment. an intense morning barrage killed 74, including a french photojournalist and american reporter marie colvin. she was a veteran war correspondent. colvin was 56 years old from long island, new york. she lost her left eye in an ambush in sri lanka in 2001. >> being a war correspondent to me has never been is that the-52 tank or the-72 tank? it's aboutúaw

it's called qnexa. but it has side effects.o, next week, the government experts will have to recommend whether it should be approved for release or not. abc's cecilia vega tells us about the risks and rewards. >> reporter: it's the tiny pill that promises to be a silver bullet that melts the pounds away. 20-year-old frazier harzell took the drug and went from this to this. losing 165 pounds in just 1 year. >> every year, i'd gain more and more. and i always tried to go on diets. >> reporter: for candice prince, it meant losing 50 pounds. from this to this, also in about a year. both were taking a version of the diet drug called qnexa, a drug once rejected by the fda for safety concerns. but it is now being considered for approval for everyone. >> it definitely changed my life. >> reporter: the makers of qnexa know that after dieting, a crushing 80% of us end up putting the pounds right back on. the drugmaker says their pill will help people lose at least 5% of their body weight. but some say they put the weight back after going

qnexa had hiccups too.n 2010, advisers voted to reject the drug, but many doctors say they've been giving patients the medications that make up qnexa for more than a decade safely and successfully. >> when we use these types of treatments, people are able to stick with a low calorie diet program. they are more enthusiastic about exercising because they see success. >> nbc bay area news. >> it isn't a done deal yet, the fda is expected to make a final decision later this spring. >>> let's turn things over to jeff ranieri. we head into thursday and this is the hot day, right? >> awesome outside today. kind of shaking my head around, what month is it out here, yes, it is still february but the numbers feeling like june and july for parts of the bay area. right now starting to cool off. somewhat mild, starting to drop off in san mateo with 51 and 54 in san francisco. keep it clear for tomorrow morning and throughout thursday, winds pick up across the hills. 15 to 30 miles per hour. starting to see cooler things

jon lapook reports qnexa could become the first new prescription drug to treat obesity in more than adecade. >> reporter: mariel rosen wasser iroserosenwasser is likee americans trying to lose weight. >> i tried so many different methods, weight watchers, jenny craig, i tried working out, going to the gym. anything i tried it didn't seem to work. >> reporter: two years ago when rosenwasser was pushing 200 pounds her doctor put her on a combination of two diet drugs. >> within the first year i lost over 50 pounds. which was incredible. >> reporter: the combination that finally worked for her may soon be available in a single pill known as qnexa. it failed to win advisory committee approval in 2010 because one ingredient-- phentermine, an ingredient in the failed diet drug fen-phen-- was linked to heart problems. the other, topiramate, was linked to birth defects. dr. kenneth burman is on the panel that recommended approval to the f.d.a.>> the potential benefits of the medication seem at this time to trump the potential side effects but in truth only time will tell. >> reporter: the ben

but new findings eased their concerns. >> should everyone who is obese take qnexa? no. but many, many people will benefit. >> reporter: however, ucsf cardiologist dr. rita redburg is concerned many could be harmed. she says we need more long-term data on the risks and benefits. >> i don't have a good history of getting post marketing studies of getting data after the drug is approved and especially for a drug which clearly millions of people would consider taking, you know, even small rare adverse events are going could tomorrow out. >> reporter: currently there is only one fda-approved drug approved for weight loss, xenical. >> there are these two medication that work so well for me and i think it would be amazing for more people to be able to have access to this medication. >> reporter: she says it not only helped her lose weight but helped her keep it off. now, of the vote was 20-2 in favor of approval. they want ongoing monitoring for heart problems and as for birth defects, they ask women not to get pregnant while taking the drug. dr. redberg hopes this preference

but encouraging new findings eased their concerns. >> should everyone who is obese take qnexa? no.ill >> more than one out of every three adults in the united states is obese. but currently, there's only one fda approved drug for long-term weight loss. >> the fda has not approved a diet drug since xenical more than a decade ago. she says people like her need more options. >> there are these two medications that worked so well for me. i think it would be amazing for more people to be able to have access to this medication. >> she says the combo not only helped her lose weight, it helped her keep it off. randall pinkston, cbs news, new york. >>> in other news, a manager at a drugstore in washington state decided to fight back against a would-be robber and it's all caught on surveillance tape. take a look. the suspect entered the store on tuesday demanding drugs, but the manager wasn't going to take it. so she took out a can of pepper spray and blasted him right in the face. the suspect was arrested a short time later after his friends called 9-1-1 because he was in incredible pain. >

we don't have an medication right now like qnexa or other tool like this that we can help patients to lose significant amounts of weight. my patients are looking for medicine like this. >> toward women taking the drug not to get pregnant. at final decision by the fda is expected in april. >> the folks from the thrusters are back in the bay area tonight, but they are not bearing and you cannot do right now. the stars of the show went to dublin's high schools engineering open house. they talk about the parents pulling the cannonball incident that crashed into the house and minivan two months ago. instead they searched that science and technology can be done. >> i guess it was very cool to see them up front and personal. >> tonight cites various part of national engineers week. >>> estimate the cover of sports illustrated? on dennis o'donnel and another injury for the warriors point guard. next. [ male announcer ] what happened when ford owners compared their trucks to a chevy silverado? i can see myself driving in this for hours and hours. i like it. man: i would definitely consider a s

two years ago, qnexa was denied because of safety concerns.now they say the benefits outweigh the risk. >>> the owe what administration has laid out gna new plan of attack declaring alzheimer's one of the most feared conditions for americans. find effective ways to help families overwhelmed by the disease. >>> also, researchers they have the best evidence yet that a l colonoscopy is the best way to save lives. colorectal cancer is one of the few cancers that can be prevented with screens. >>> a high profile game the nba tonight. the knicks and the heat. that and the other nba highlights from mike yam at espn news. >>> questions about quem industry. yeah, the knicks at home to taken to atlanta hawks. carmelo anthony, his second game with jeremy lin. think you have heard of him. second quarter, baron davis. his second game. smith, his sec game. smith had 12. there's anthony looking stronger in the offense. had 15 points did melo. how about that? chandler throwing it down. knicks led by 25 at the break. in transition. anthony. jeremy lin, 17 poin

today's panel said for obese people, the benefits of qnexa outweigh the risks.ks that include memory loss, confusion, increased heart rate, even birth defects. opponents aren't shy about their skepticism. >> i think diet drugs really fall squarely in the category of it's too good to be true. >> so, if this is approved, when could it be on the market? >> reporter: well, i expect they will vote on this by april 17th. and i expect they're going to approve it with some restrictions. i don't think it will be long after that approval that you'll see it in pharmacies. >> restrictions. it won't be for everybody for a few extra pounds. >> reporter: the goal is for people who have obesity. you need to keep it away from pregnant women. >> thank you, rich. good to see you tonight. >>> and coming up, the countdown to the oscars is on. the scene-stealing actor everyone's talking about, not even nominated. t even nominated. our retirement savings, not in this economy. we also have zero free time, and my dad moving in. so we went to fidelity. we looked at our family's goals and

. >>> debating whether to approve the diet pill q in the -- qnexa. they now taking another look. >> reporter: mariel rosenwatser tried every diet but could not lose weight. >> family and friends were convinced that i must have been doing something wrong because why wasn't it coming off? >> okay. >> she weighed more than 200 pounds when a doctor put her on a combination of two drugs, the appetite suppressant fentermine and to pirammate. they are considering whether to recommend a new diet pill called qnexa, which combines the two drugs. a study found that obese patients lost an average of 10% of their body mass. >> reporter: at wednesday's hearing, the makers of qnexa presented encouraging new findings about the drug's safety. >> one of the outcomes of the studies that have been performed on thousands of patients is that all of the cardio metabolic risk factors seem to improve. >> more than one out of every three adults in the united states is obese. but currently, there is only one fda-approved drug for long- term weight loss. >> reporter: the fda ha

. >>> a panel of experts for the fda recommended a new diet drug called qnexa should be approved. the recommendation comes despite concerns about heart and birth defect risks. the panel said the drug's effectiveness outweighs any potential risks. the fda will now decide whether to give full approval later this year. if they do, qnexa will be the first new diet drug on the market since 1999. >>> there is news about a screening test millions had and few look forward to. tonight, a major study presents clear evidence of what doctors have been telling us for years, colonoscopies do save lives. this research published in "the new england journal of medicine" shows that removing precancerous polyps does dramatically cut the risk of dying from colon cancer, which is the second leading cause of cancer death in this country. >>> when we continue here on a wednesday night what every parent should know about an obsession that can kill. young people with a dangerous eating disorder may not be who you think. >>> later -- could this be what this president is remembered for? >>> back now as we m

to get qnexa approved. the drug panel gave it the go ahead. the the fda does not have to follow this recommendation, in fact, it rejected qnexa in the past. it would be the first new weight loss drug in 13 years, the fda has until mid april to make this but it's a stock to watch. gas prices continue to worry wall street high energy costs could be enough to kill or at least slow our tepid economic recovery. hewlett-packard under pressure after the company reported earnings fell more than 40% on slow pc sales. you heard of the pin board popular among women. see who else. the u.s. army posting on pintrist. there is a section on army families. the army freely admits it is looking to recruit young women and doing it through pintrist. the army is good at all of these things. it has included video games as well to attract young men. it goes where the people are and makes a lot of sense. >> really does. thank you very much. >> 5:56 now. still to come on "today in the bay" a new report finds students in one bay area

the fda advisory panel has recommended the approval of a drug called qnexa. studies show that patients on the drug lost 10% of their body weight. there are concerns that ingredients in qnexa may contribute to heart problems or birth defects. the fda will decide whether to approve the drug in the next two months. >>> still ahead tonight, wildlife wandering into urban areas is becoming more of a problem tonight. the i-team takes us along for a ride with the men and women responsible for keeping us safe. >>> some areas seeing pretty good rains and there's more on the way in the forecast. just how high will we go tomorrow? >>> thousands of dogs in iraq are now finding new homes in washington. [ male announcer ] with citibank, it's easy for jay to deposit checks from anywhere. easier than actually going to the bank. mobile check deposit. easier banking. standard at citibank. makes it easy for anne to view her finances from anywhere. like gate d12 for the next three hours. citibank for ipad. easier banking. standard at citibank. >>> someone moves into a new home, s

it's called qnexa. and frazier hartzell said it changed his life. >> i always tried to go on diets. would lose 10, 15 pounds. it would never work out. >> reporter: he went from 390 pounds to 225. he's not alone. candace prince seriously shed the pounds using the drug. it's been more than a decade since a weight loss drug has been approved. and doctors treating the obese are looking for an option other than surgery. >> there's no medicines, and this is a huge clinical need right now. we need effective medicines for weight loss to help our patients. and qnexa is potentially a medicine that could be useful in this regard. >> reporter: it's coming up for review this week. but -- and this is a big but, it's been rejected once already by the government. and yesterday, officials said they're still concerned about the side effects. which can include birth defects in pregnant women, increased heart rate, memory lapses. >> too good to be true means, what's the other side of it? the other side of it over and over and over again, it's been that the risks outweigh the benefits. >> reporter: that

. >>> overwelmingly approved a diet pill called qnexa. patients have been waiting for a new option. >> merial tried just about every diet, but just could not lose weight. >> family and friends were convinced that i must have been doing something wrong because why wasn't it coming off? >> she weighed more than 200 pounds when her doctor put her on a combination of drugs, phentermine. the new diet pill, qnexa combines both those drugs. lost 10% of their body mass. but the fda rejected this drug back in 2010 concerned about potential side effects, including heart problems and birth defects. the makers of qnexa showed encouraging findings. >> one of the outcomes of the studies that have been performed said all of the risk factors seem to improve. >> fda has not approved a new drug more than a decade ago. marion says people like her need more options. >> there are these two medications that work so well for me, you know, i think it would be amazing for more people to be able to have access to this medication. >> we're going to be watching when

it is called qnexa. i'm phil mickelson, pro golfer.you have painful, swollen joints, i've been in your shoes. one day i'm on top of the world... the next i'm saying... i have this thing called psoriatic arthritis. i had some intense pain. it progressively got worse. my rheumatologist told me about enbrel. i'm surprised how quickly my symptoms have been managed. [ male announcer ] because enbrel suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness

we do have news that the fda has backed vivus' drug qnexa. it was an overwhelming approval.tainly good news when we see this reopen. >> is it will be interesting to see how much of a pop you get out of this. this is what the anticipation is in front of. everybody's going to be very excited. if it's an overreaction, i think that's something we have to be monitoring tomorrow. oftentimes we'll see that overpop early. then that really big pullback. i think you're seeing sentiment in others. >> walk us through why some will be moving higher. they started jumping in the last hour of trading. you see in the after-hours it is up sharply. a very small -- >> both are a small market cap stock. >> they also have diet drugs but they're separate from qnexa. >> the phenpen was the worry in the past. as long as they're comfortable with what they're seeing now, this is impressive with the panel with the 20-2 vote. >> it was taken off the shelves because of heart valve of users. one that was included in there was in this new package. could be interesting. >> something to keep in mind. i think

soaring 78% after federal regulators recommended approval of its weight loss drug qnexa. despite uptick in crude inventories last week oil rose to a fresh nine-month high near $109 a barrel overseas today after settling up more than $1.50 thursday. bailed out insurer aig weighed in with a big quarterly profit and sending shares 3% higher after the bell. protecter & gamble cost cutting plans that will eliminate more than 4,000 jobs. apple shareholders were encouraged to hear that the cash flush company is, quote, thinking very deeply about offering dividends this year. >>> it could be the end of 150-year era at niagara falls. the iconic maid of the mist tour boat company has lost its contract to another operator. the maid has a contract on the american side through 2042, but the boats are stored across the border, leaving the company's fate up in the air. >>> coming up, the knicks can't stand the heat. the thunderstorms the lakers. and more pithing -- putting problems for tiger woods. >>> plus, the darlg of daytona takes a big hit. >>> the weekend forecast will start chill

a panel is recommending approval of the drug to qnexa made by mountain view-based vivas. it would be the first precipitation weight loss drug in more than a decade. the last drug, fen-phen, was recalled after it was linked to heart valve problems. the fda is expected to make its final decision later this spring. >> 4:50. still ahead jeremy lin working his magic for the knicks. they pull off a victory but it's the game tonight that has a lot of people talking. we'll explain who they play next. >> plus, a sweet deal at a san francisco restaurant. >> we're looking at highway 24, 24 and 580, tough couple of days getting to the bay bridge. it's okay now but i'll show you something in the south bay that might slow you down. >> this is a live look outside, waiting for the sun to come up though you will notice it is warmer as you head out the door this morning. 4:54 right now. >> knicks fans hoping for another round of lin-sanity as the knicks prepare to take on lebron james and the miami heat. last night jeremy lin doing his thing dropping 17 points and nine assists against a be

the second time the fda is looking at whether to approve a single sustained release version called qnexa. >> i think one pill would be amazing. you could take it anytime of night and just keep it regular. anyone can follow that. >> reporter: that concerns this ucsf cardiologist, dr. rita redberg. >> a lot more people would start taking this combination and then we would be finding out about a lot more side effects. >> reporter: dr. redberg says there are troubling potential side effects associated with the combination drug. from memory loss to birth defects as well as increased heart rate. >> it makes me wonder what's going on is that correct, sir going to lead to increased heart attack. >> reporter: frazier did experience memory loss but it went away when he stopped taking the medications. he has been off the drugs since december. since he stopped the drugs, his appetite is back but frazier says after a year of eating a healthier diet it's now his lifestyle. he has gained 10 pounds but he says that's because he has gained a lot of muscle from working out. juliette goodrich, cbs 5. >>> t

they've got that big diet drug called qnexa.ff the phone and seema mody talked about this right off the top of "power lunch" today. i got off the phone with the ceo of the company who had some very interesting things to say about the prospects for his company. you see the tremendous move in the shares today. up 90%. it was up more than 100% as seema noted earlier. the ceo telling me he's very optimistic now that the drug will be officially approved by the fda. says formal approval could happen on april 17th. that's the target date that the ceo is now looking at. calls it clearly a game changer for his company. wouldn't give any sales estimates yet. but an analyst that we had on the "fast money" "halftime report" is looking for about $3 billion in sales. certainly a huge number. really a game changer for a company that has spent hundreds of millions of dollars, guys, in ten years trying to bring qnexa to market. it would be the first diet drug officially approved by the fda since i think 1999. so can't -- just a tremendous story.

one of the ingredients in fen-phen is also in qnexa so the fda wants to take a close look. the panel will make a decision. will take a vote. the full fda will make a final decision in april. >> thank you, tracie. >> a top republican presidential candidate on the defensive after several controversial comments. rick santorum seemed to compare president obama to hitler during a speech last night. this follows other comments he made on saturday where he questioned the president's faith. democrats slamming the former senator for going negative. santorum says his words were taken out of context. >> actually questioning the president's faith. that is a new low in american politics. >> i repeatedly said i believe the president is christian, he says he is a christian but i'm talking about his world view. >> despite the comments santorum still leading the latest michigan polls where its primary begins next week. >> fans of the colbert report will get to see new episodes starting tonight. the host left to take care of his ailing mother. he thanked everyone on twitter who offered thoug

the second time, the fda is looking at whether to approve a single sustained release version called, qnexabut that concerns ucf cardiologist. >> a lot more people would start taking this combination and then we would be finding out about a lot more side effects. >> dr. redberg says there are troubling potential side effects associated with the combination drug. from memory loss to birth defects as well as increased heart rate. >> it makes you wonder what's going on. is that going to lead to increased heart attacks? >> fraisher did experience memory loss, but it went away when he stopped taking the medications. he has been off the drug since december. since he stopped the drug, his appetite is back, but fraisher says after a year of eating a healthier diet, it's now his lifestyle. he gained ten pounds, but that is because he gained a lot of muscle from working out. so he has a lifestyle change. >> yeah. it's a little weird, the side effects. especially the memory loss. he admitted he had some memory loss. >> he said he would forget words here and there. he used to weigh 400 pounds, so missi

well now qnexa could soon be hitting store shelves.eight loss market is a big one in this canada it's been about a decade since the fda last approved a weight loss drug and this could soon change, with the patent that qnexa be approved. here's what the doctors advising the fda likes about the drug, most patients for about a year lost almost 10 percent of overall weight so impressive results but here's what the panel is unsure about, possible side effects, possible heart problems related to the drug. xne -- qnexa was first rejected because of those same concerns. this time around the panel is recommending the fda require research on side effect, those side effects could include raised heart rate, psychiatric problems and birth defects. the fda does not automatically take the advice of the panels but most of the time they do, and in the united states, obesity rates are at almost 35 percent, jon. there are a ton of health problems related to obesity, and analysts say a new weight loss pill, once approved, could attract at least 10 million

a panel of doctors will look at the drug called qnexa. a safety risk that has some concerned. good morning. >> there is a reason for it. did you know there are almost 7 million people in california considered obese compared to the 2 million a decade ago. there is a need action spurts say for a new diet pill. the only one we have is not as especktive. so qnexa is something that the fda is going to take a close are look a. two years ago they rejected the drug, concerned about heart problems, suicidal thoughts and memory lapses. the manufacturer saying they will put a plan in place so pregnant women or women likely to become pregnant won't use the drug as a weight loss pill and there will be follow-up heart studies though they may be required to do this in advance. the fda hoping to look at new evidence possibly to approve this drug for sale in the united states. it's been proven effective, patients lost 10% of their bmi, while taking this pill. is it safe enough? is it effective enough? the fda panel on wednesday will consider that after th

. >> if approved, qnexa would be the most potent medicine we would have on the market to treat obesityffective. >> reporter: rejected just two years ago by the fda for safety concerns, panels said for obese people the benefits of qnexa outweigh the risks. risks that include memory loss, confusion, increased heart rate, even birth defects. opponents aren't shy about their skepticism. >> i think diet drugs really fall squarely in the category of it's too good to be true. >> reporter: the fda has until april 17th to vote on the committee's recommendation, but they usually approve what the committee recommends. dr. richard besser, abc news, new york. >> major warning, though, to women. if you're of child-bearing age that one of the side effects could be cleft lip in your newborn. so sometimes the risks don't outweigh the benefits. >> if it sounds too good to be true, there's definitely some side effects as always. so be careful before you sign on to that. >>> taking a look at your thursday forecast, everybody, stormy with some hail and even powerful winds in new orleans. nashville, atlanta

the fda backing its weight loss drug, qnexa, on its way to be the first approved prescription drug in decade. connecti qnexa will have $3 billion that's what happens when you have a favorable ruling on a drug. >> this was an original battleground stock in the '90s. it was known for an erectile dysfunction drug, a pellet, actually, yes. but that was something. and they're moving along and doing a lot of other actually interesting developments. >> anti-obesity, it's a growing market. it is a growing market. >> yes. >> time for us to take a snack break. after it we're going to head to israel for an inside look at a stock that leaves herb feeling a little flat. and "street signs" hears you. we took a lot of heat yesterday about our etf segment versus single stocks. we only showed you the winners. we're going to show you the worst performers in the same basket of etfs. we don't just listen, but we listen. >> yes, we do. i'm freaking out man. why? i thought jill was your soul mate. no, no it's her dad. the general's your soul mate? dude what? no, no, no. he's, he's on my back about providin

we told you about qnexa developed by a mountain view company. it's a combination of two drugs, one will kill your appetite the other makes you feel full. potential side effects include heart problems and birth defects. yesterday, a panel of experts said the benefits outweigh the risk and recommended the fda to approve qnexa. the fda has until april 17 to decide. >>> you can't call it the kodak theater because they have dropped kodak for the oscars. the famous theater will be called the hollywood and highland center theater. not the same ring. they named it after the location there. kodak got court approval to end its sponsorship deal as as kodak goes through bankruptcy. >>> the red carpet is in plastic until sunday so that it stays clean for the oscars. crews have set up bleachers and press stands for that event. >> have you been down there for that? seen all the rigamarole? >> i have been -- you can't get anywhere near it. it's such a zoo out there. and, you know, hollywood's big night is without one star. >> yeah. the academy of motion picture

soaring 78% after federal regulators recommended approval of its weight loss drug qnexa.espite an uptick in crude inventories last week oil rose a fresh nine month high, nearly $109 a barrel today overseas after settling up more than $1.50 thursday. bailed out insurer aig weighed in with a big quarterly profit and sending shares 3% higher after the bell. >>> consumer powerhouse protecter & gamble cost cutting plans that will eliminate more than 4,000 jobs. apple shareholders were encouraged to hear that the cash flush company is thinking, quote, very deeply about offering dividends this year. >>> it could be the end of a 150-year era at niagara falls. the iconic maid of the mist tour boat company has lost its canadian contract to a u.s. operator which plans to upgrade the aging fleet in 2014. the maid has a contract on the american side through 2042, but the boats are sort of across the border and that's leaving the company's fate up in the air. >>> coming up, the knicks can't stand the heat. the thunder storm the lakers, and more putting problems for tiger woods. the dar

we told you about qnexa developed by a mountain view company. one of the drugs kills your appetite and the other makes you feel full, the two drugs in combination. problems are heart defects and birth defects. the benefits outweigh the risks according to a committee and the fda has until april 17 to decide whether to approve it. >>> today marks 150 years in business for the oldest restaurant still in its original location in san francisco. the old clam house restaurant on bayshore boulevard. the owner says it's located on what used to be the waterfront where people once actually dug for clams. >> this restaurant actually survived the 1906 earthquake. the debris was used to fill in the marshy lands around the restaurant. >> the restaurant was built when abraham lincoln was being inaugurated. they are celebrating today 150 years strong. >>> "sports illustrated" has been in publication since 1954 and never has a new york athlete been on a cover in back- to-back weeks, not mantle, mays, not namath until now. pride of the bay area, jeremy lin on the

over in the pharmaceutical sector, investors have big hopes for the vivus's new diet drug, qnexa. it's expected the fda will green light the new prescription weight-loss drug, the first diet medication to gain approval in more than a decade. shares bulked up on the news, surging nearly 80% to close at $18.73. and, finally, a.i.g.-- after the bell today, the bailed out insurance giant reported a nearly $20 billion profit for the fourth quarter. a tax benefit and the increased value of a.i.g.'s stake in asian insurer a.i.a. group helped fuel the better than expected profit. shares gained 3% in after-hours trading. it gained over 1% during the regular session. and that's tonight's "market focus." >> susie: "made in the u.s.a." has been a strong point for the american economy. u.s. exports have been growing, adding to the optimism in the manufacturing industry. international paper makes packaging, paper and cardboard boxes, much of it made in the u.s. but as c.e.o. john faraci told tom hudson, exports alone won't kick-start the economy. >> the u.s. isn't an export driven economy, our

but the drug is called qnexa. it's been plagued by side effects since it was first submitted to the agency in 2010. but the majority ultimately backed the drug due to its impressive weight loss results. most patients can lose 10% of the body weight and keep it off foo years. >> how does it work? >> i don't know the exact mechanism. i think you feel full but i'm not sure how it works. i would look like -- i would look like a balloon you look the air out of. >> are you excited? >> to look like a ba loop that you've let the air out of it? >> no, but do you really think that? >> when i lose weight, all the wrinkles, you just kind of go -- yeah, i worry. you lose it here but you get real drawn looking. have you seen shep smith? never mind. it's on this network called fox. >> i've heard of it. >> shep smith looks like skelatore. >> i have seen. >> he admitted that he has overdone it. but nothing gets -- and obesity is -- put that with diabetes and alzheimer's and it's the biggest thing facing society right now so i unde