Another entrant into obesity drug market, Arena, expects FDA panel review of lorcaserin in September

The obesity drug market continues to attract new drug developments, despite recent setbacks, and the latest company to announce progress is USA-based Arena Pharmaceuticals which recently said that its New Drug Application for lorcaserin, the company's candidate for weight management, including weight loss and its maintenance, will be scrutinized by the Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs advisory committee of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tentatively on September 16, 2010.

The NDA was filed in December 2009. The submission of the application was based on a data package from lorcaserin's development program, which included 18 clinical trials involving 8,576 patients. A response from the FDA should be out in the fourth quarter of 2010 (action date: October 22, 2010). Even though the US agency is not bound to follow the advice of its advisory committees, the recommendation of the panel is usually considered by the agency while deciding the fate of a drug candidate, said analysts at Zacks Equity Research in a note about Arena, noting that lorcaserin would be the firm's first drug to hit the market if the US agency approves.

Others vying for entry into this attractive market