FDA Confirms September 16th Advisory Committee Meeting To Review Lorcaserin For Obesity And Weight Management
Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARNA) and Eisai Inc. announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified the company of the confirmed scheduling of an Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee meeting on September 16, 2010, for the review of the lorcaserin New Drug Application (NDA). Lorcaserin, which Arena discovered and has developed for weight management, is intended for obese patients as well as overweight patients who have at least one weight-related co-morbid condition.
“Our primary objective at this time is to obtain FDA approval of lorcaserin,” said Jack Lief, Arena’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We have been preparing for this anticipated Advisory Committee meeting, and look forward to reviewing lorcaserin’s profile with the panel members.”
Arena submitted the lorcaserin NDA on December 22, 2009, and the FDA assigned a PDUFA date, the target date for the agency to complete its review of the application, of October 22, 2010.
Lorcaserin New Drug Application
The lorcaserin New Drug Application is based on a data package from lorcaserin’s development program that includes 18 clinical trials totaling 8,576 patients. The pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial program, BLOOM (Behavioral modification and Lorcaserin for Overweight and Obesity Management) and BLOSSOM (Behavioral modification and LOrcaserin Second Study for Obesity Management), evaluated nearly 7,200 patients treated for up to two years. In both trials, lorcaserin was well tolerated and produced statistically significant weight loss.
About Lorcaserin
Lorcaserin is a new chemical entity that is believed to act as a selective serotonin 2C receptor agonist. The serotonin 2C receptor is expressed in the brain, including the hypothalamus, an area involved in the control of appetite and metabolism. Stimulation of the serotonin 2C receptor in the hypothalamus is associated with feeding behavior and satiety. Arena has patents that cover lorcaserin in the United States and other jurisdictions, which in most cases are capable of continuing into 2023 without taking into account any patent term extensions or other exclusivity Arena might obtain.
