Health Highlights: Nov. 7, 2008

Pfizer said it's not willing to put money into new human tests likely to be required by the FDA. The experimental drug -- dubbed CP-945,598 -- was in the third of three stages required for approval.

A similar anti-obesity drug developed by Sanofi-Aventis SA was rejected by the FDA in June 2007, and Merck & Co. halted development of an anti-obesity drug last month. Sanofi and Merck found that their drugs may be linked to suicide and depression, Bloomberg said.

The Pfizer, Sanofi and Merck anti-obesity drugs all block the same brain receptor that makes marijuana smokers hungry. The last major drug company still developing a similar drug is Bristol-Myers Squibb, the news service said.