Vivus's Qnexa Will Become Decision Resources' Clinical Gold Standard in 2013 for the Treatment of Obesity

WALTHAM, Mass., March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that, for the treatment of obesity, Vivus's Qnexa (the phentermine/topiramate combination) will earn Decision Resources' proprietary clinical gold standard in 2013 and through 2018 following its anticipated U.S. approval for the disease in 2011. Qnexa has competitive advantages in efficacy -- it provides nearly double the weight-loss of current anti-obesity drugs -- and improved delivery over the current clinical gold standard, Roche's Xenical/GlaxoSmithKline's OTC Alli.

"Both U.S. and European interviewed thought leaders cite safety and tolerability of obesity therapies as a major concern. While the individual therapies contained in Qnexa on their own cause many side effects, the lower doses of each compound in this combination appear to be well tolerated, thereby propelling the drug to clinical gold standard status in the future," stated Decision Resources Analyst Kate Sullivan.

The new report entitled Obesity: A Novel Oral Therapy Emerges That Delivers Superior Weight-Loss Efficacy also finds that while surveyed physicians identify the development of drugs with a greater effect on weight loss as the greatest area of unmet need, safety will remain an important differentiator between obesity therapies. The withdrawal of Abbott Laboratories' Meridia/Reductil from European markets in January 2010 highlights this issue, as does surveyed physicians' indication that long-term safety is the attribute that most influences their prescribing decisions.

About the Report

Obesity: A Novel Oral Therapy Emerges That Delivers Superior Weight-Loss Efficacy is a DecisionBase 2010 report. DecisionBase 2010 is a decision-support tool that provides in-depth analysis of unmet need, physician expectations of new therapies and commercial dynamics to help pharmaceutical companies optimize their investments in drug development. 

About Decision Resources

Decision Resources (www.DecisionResources.com) is a world leader in market research publications, advisory services and consulting designed to help clients shape strategy, allocate resources and master their chosen markets. Decision Resources is a Decision Resources, Inc. company.

About Decision Resources, Inc.

Decision Resources, Inc. is a cohesive portfolio of companies that offers best-in-class, high-value information and insights on important sectors of the healthcare industry. Clients rely on this analysis and data to make informed decisions. Please visit Decision Resources, Inc. at www.DecisionResourcesInc.com.

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SOURCE Decision Resources