Strong start for Vivus' obesity drug Qsymia; deal with Express Scripts
Sales of US drugmaker Vivus' (Nasdaq: VVUS) obesity agent Qsymia (phentermine and topiramate extended-release) rose 432% sequentially in its second week post launch, according to Healthcare Analytics (formerly Wolters Kluwer) data reported by Credit Suisse.
While it often takes several weeks for data to reflect true demand, payers and patients appear to be adopting Qsymia, the first obesity agent in more than a decade, note analysts at Credit Suisse. Arena and Eisai's Belviq (lorcaserin), which was approved by the US food and Drug Administration ahead of Qsymia (The Pharma Letter June 28), could launch in the fourth quarter of this year. A delay in the launch of Belviq is due to the fact that the FDA has recommended that the drug be classified by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a scheduled drug.
Credit Suisse analysts have a net present value for Qsymia of $30.63 per share, 82% of the total for Vivus.
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