Obesity Pipeline Beyond 'The Big Three' Growing

The long-awaited approval of Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s Belviq (lorcaserin) looks to bode well for its contemporaries – Vivus Inc.'s Qnexa (phentermine/topiramate), which has a PDUFA date of July 17, and Orexigen Therapeutics Inc.'s Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion), which is in an FDA-required cardiovascular outcomes study to address a complete response letter – but it could also offer some assurances for other companies with earlier-stage obesity candidates coming down the pike.