Lannett : FDA Approval For Phentermine Hydrochloride Capsules USP 30 MG...

July 20, 2010 – Lannett Company, Inc. (NYSE AMEX: LCI) announced that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Phentermine Hydrochloride Blue/White Seed Capsules USP, 30 mg, the generic equivalent of Sandoz, Inc.’s Reference Listed Drug (RLD) Phentermine Hydrochloride Capsules USP, 30 mg. According to Wolters Kluwer, U.S. sales of Phentermine Hydrochloride Capsules USP, 30 mg in 2009 were approximately $36.5 million at Average Wholesale Price (AWP). This does not include sales of Phentermine made directly to consumers through clinics.
Phentermine Hydrochloride is indicated as a short-term adjunct in a regimen of weight reduction based on exercise, behavioral modification and caloric restriction in the management of exogenous obesity for patients with an initial body mass index... [PDF] Lannett's Press Release -

TOSHIBA : MR SYSTEM ENABLES CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER TO SUCCESSFULLY IMAGE BARIATRIC PATIENTS

June 28, 2010 - TOSHIBA MR SYSTEM ENABLES CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER TO SUCCESSFULLY IMAGE BARIATRIC PATIENTS - Large Open-Bore Vantage Titan MR System Allows Facility to Image Bariatric Patients Who Were Previously Sent to Other Facilities for Imaging – Obesity is a growing trend in the United States, requiring hospitals to provide medical imaging technology designed to accommodate bariatric patients without compromising diagnostic confidence or patient comfort. To accomplish this goal, Central Mississippi Medical Center (CMMC) in Jackson, Miss., a bariatric center of excellence, recently installed Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.’s Vantage TitanTM MR system. The Titan’s 71 cm aperture and large open bore enables CMMC to better serve its bariatric patient population with an MR system capable of imaging obese patients with comfort and confidence.

“Before installing the Titan, we could not accommodate many of our bariatric patients using MR and had to send them elsewhere for MR imaging,”... Toshiba's Press Release -

7TM Pharma : positron emission tomography preclinical research program to successfully demonstrate peripheral restriction of its CB1 receptor...

July 12, 2010 - 7TM Pharma announced positive preclinical Positron Emission Tomography (PET) data in non human primates with their proprietary drug candidate TM38837, which was discovered at 7TM Pharma and is being developed for treatment of obesity, type 2 diabetes and related metabolic disorders. In line with a full range of other experiments, the data clearly demonstrate the principle feature of this first in class compound, namely that it is peripherally restricted. A direct comparison between TM38837 and rimonabant, a brain penetrant CB1 receptor antagonist, importantly exhibited a clear difference between their propensities to cross the blood brain barrier in favor of TM38837... 7TM Pharma's Press Release -

Eisai & Arena Pharmaceuticals : Marketing and Supply Agreement for Lorcaserin

July 1, 2010 - A Potential Treatment for Obesity and Weight Management - Companies Sign Marketing and Supply Agreement; Arena Eligible to Receive Over 30% of Eisai's Net Sales and $1.37 Billion in Other Payments - Eisai Inc., the U.S. pharmaceutical operation of Tokyo-based Eisai Co., Ltd., announced that it has entered into an agreement with Arena Pharmaceuticals GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc., for exclusive U.S. rights to commercialize lorcaserin, a drug candidate for potential use in the treatment of obesity, including weight loss, for patients who are obese (Body Mass Index or BMI ≥ 30) or overweight (BMI ≥ 27) with at least one weight-related co-morbid condition. If approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Eisai will market and distribute lorcaserin in the United States. Arena will handle the manufacture and supply of the finished commercial product at its facility in Switzerland.

"Obesity is one of the most pressing public health issues of our day and one which cannot be overlooked,"... Eisai's Press Release - Arena Pharmaceuticals' Press Release -

Zafgen : Data on a New Class of Medicines to Treat Obesity at the American Diabetes Association Annual Meeting

June 26, 2010 – Zafgen, Inc., a pharmaceutical company pioneering novel obesity therapeutics to help the body regain and sustain a lean, healthy state by targeting imbalances in fat metabolism, announced data on ZGN-201, a prototype methionine aminopeptidase 2 inhibitor (MetAP2), for the treatment of obesity. Preclinical studies demonstrate MetAP2 inhibition eliminates excess body weight through the regulation of fat metabolism and food intake, and normalizes glucose tolerance in animal models. These findings are significant as they show for the first time the long-term weight- and glucose-lowering effects of MetAP2 inhibitors in rodent and non-rodent models of obesity, supporting their potential for treatment of human obesity and its related metabolic disorders. MetAP2 inhibitors work by reestablishing balance to the ways the body processes fat, leading to substantial loss of body weight and improved glucose tolerance... [PDF] Zafgen's Press Release -