FDA has obesity drug Qnexa in its crosshairs (Morning Read)

Highlights of the important and interesting in the world of healthcare:

More trouble for obesity drugs. Days after rejecting Arena’s obesity drug lorcaserin, the FDA has asked for more safety data — specifically, for pregnant women — for Vivus’ Qnexa, one of three closely watched obesity drugs up for approval, according to FierceBiotech. An expert panel already voted 10-to-6 against approving that drug.

On the GlaxoSmithKline whistle-blower award. The Guardian (U.K.) reports that five of the six senior GSK executives accused of covering up contamination problems at the group’s Puerto Rico factory may still be employed by the pharmaceuticals company.

Talk to me. Today, healthcare begins at search. But what does Pharma want from social media? A new marketing channel, or a real-time conversation with patients and their doctors? Why not both? asks the Burrill Report.

Mickey D’s: an occupational hazard. A former manager of a McDonald’s franchise in Porto Allegre, Brazil, was awarded $17,500 as recompense for gaining 65 pounds over 12 years on the job, the Associated Press reports in TIME Healthland blog.

Falsisms in Startup Land. Let’s discard the idea that returns on startup investing are bimodal — either a total bust or a Google-style win — shall we? writes A VC blog.

Early colon cancer detection big business. New genetic screening tests for colon cancer could help patients avoid colonoscopies and cut the annual cost — $14 billion a year — to treat by catching the cancer early, according to the New York Times.

Unique patient identification. The University of Wisconsin Hospital and Health Clinics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has implemented a new database that identifies patients through vein patterns in their palms, reports the Superior Telegram in the iHealthBeat blog.