VIVUS, Inc. (NASDAQ: VVUS) announced that results from the 56-week EQUIP study were published in Obesity, the peer-reviewed journal of The Obesity Society. The EQUIP study evaluated the efficacy and safety of the investigational drug Qnexa in 1,267 severely obese (BMI >/= 35 kg/m2) patients across 91 sites in the US. In addition to average weight loss of 14.4% of initial body weight among those who completed the study at the top dose of Qnexa, severely obese patients had improvements in blood pressure, glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol. The results with Qnexa suggest the potential to effectively treat severely obese patients without surgery.
"Obesity is a serious medical condition that threatens the public health and reduces the quality and length of lives. Currently available treatments are limited and options are needed," said lead investigator Dr. David Allison, director of the Nutrition Obesity Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham. "In this population of severely obese patients, those taking Qnexa experienced significant weight loss and reduction in risk factors for many chronic diseases. The results refute a common notion that nonsurgical treatments are not effective for extremely obese persons. The findings are especially relevant to the 14% of the US adult population classified as extremely obese."
Patients in the study had a baseline body mass index of >/= 35 kg/m2, and an average initial weight of 256 pounds. Treatment was well tolerated, with no evidence of serious adverse events induced by treatment... VIVUS' Press Release -
