Health & Fitness
Health and Fitness
Health and Fitness
Mon, July 19, 2010
Sun, July 18, 2010
Sat, July 17, 2010
Fri, July 16, 2010
Thu, July 15, 2010 Vivus, Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, Abbott and Orexigen Therapeutics
CHICAGO--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Zacks.com Analyst Blog features: Vivus (Nasdaq: [ VVUS ]), Roche (OTC: [ RHHBY ]), GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: [ GSK ]), Abbott (NYSE: [ ABT ]) and Orexigen Therapeutics (Nasdaq: [ OREX ]).
Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: [ http://at.zacks.com/?id=4579 ]
Here are highlights from Wednesdaya™s Analyst Blog:
FDA to Review Vivus Drug
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently posted briefing documents on its website ahead of the review of Vivus (Nasdaq: [ VVUS ]) obesity drug Qnexa by the FDAa™s Endocrinologic & Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee. While the FDA said that all three doses of Qnexa were efficacious for weight loss, the agency has raised questions regarding certain safety issues.
The FDA has highlighted five areas which will be discussed by the panel. These include psychiatric-related and cognitive-related adverse events, metabolic acidosis, cardiovascular events and the effect of the drug on pregnant women. We believe the main focus will be on increased adverse event reports of depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders and the potential clinical significance of the increase in heart rate. The advisory panel will be meeting on Jul 15 to discuss these issues.
Qnexa, Vivusa™ lead pipeline candidate, is a proprietary oral drug candidate that combines two previously approved products, topiramate and phentermine, to employ a dual mechanism to treat obesity. Qnexa is designed to address the excess appetite and high threshold for satiety that impact eating behavior.
Obesity Market Presents Huge Potential
A favorable recommendation on Qnexa from the advisory committee would be a major positive for Vivus. The obesity market represents huge commercial potential for Vivus. Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the US and it is estimated that the potential worldwide pharmaceutical market for obesity could approach $5 billion annually.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that over 112,000 deaths each year are attributable to obesity. Moreover, Americans spend more than $30 billion annually on weight-loss products and services.
Currently available treatments for obesity include orlistat, sold by Roche (OTC: [ RHHBY ]) as Xenical and by GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: [ GSK ]) as Alli (available over-the-counter) and Abbotta™s (NYSE: [ ABT ]) Meridia (sibutramine). A commercially available prescription product with better efficacy than existing products and lower side-effects has the potential to take sizable market share from existing products.
Competition Catching Up Fast
Besides Vivus, companies like Orexigen Therapeutics (Nasdaq: [ OREX ]) are developing drugs that aim to compete directly with Qnexa. While a response on Orexigena™s Contrave will be available by January 2011, a final response on Arenaa™s lorcaserin should be out in late October 2010.
Want more from Zacks Equity Research? Subscribe to the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: [ http://at.zacks.com/?id=5514 ].
About Zacks Equity Research
Zacks Equity Research provides the best of quantitative and qualitative analysis to help investors know what stocks to buy and which to sell for the long-term.
Continuous coverage is provided for a universe of 1,150 publicly traded stocks. Our analysts are organized by industry which gives them keen insights to developments that affect company profits and stock performance. Recommendations and target prices are six-month time horizons.
Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter provides highlights of the latest analysis from Zacks Equity Research. Subscribe to this free newsletter today: [ http://at.zacks.com/?id=5516 ]
About Zacks
Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leonard Zacks. As a PhD in mathematics Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros at [ http://at.zacks.com/?id=4580 ].
Visit [ http://www.zacks.com/performance ] for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
Follow us on Twitter: [ http://twitter.com/zacksresearch ]
Join us on Facebook: [ http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts ]
Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.
