Bariatric Panel Says Treatment Options are Lacking for Obesity

A report produced by the George Washington University School of Public Health found that prescription drugs could fill a critical treatment gap for obese patients who do not respond to lifestyle interventions and are not candidates for bariatric surgery. The report could not be more timely due to the recent approval of Qsymia (phentermine/topiramate, Vivus Inc.), and pending approval processes of Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s Belviq (lorcaserin) and Orexigen Therapeutics Ins.'s Contrave (naltrexone/buproprion). (See BioWorld Today, July 19, 2012.)