Orexigen Seeks FDA OK for Obesity Drug

Orexigen Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OREX]]), the San Diego-based developer of weight loss drugs, said today it has turned in its application for FDA approval of its first marketed product in the U.S. The drug, a combination of bupropion and naltrexone (Contrave), has been studied in more than 4,500 patients, the company said. If approved, Orexigen could be in position to compete with new drugs from San Diego-based Arena Pharmaceuticals and Mountain View, CA-based Vivus, which are also being considered by FDA reviewers.

Author: Luke Timmerman

Luke is an award-winning journalist specializing in life sciences. He has served as national biotechnology editor for Xconomy and national biotechnology reporter for Bloomberg News. Luke got started covering life sciences at The Seattle Times, where he was the lead reporter on an investigation of doctors who leaked confidential information about clinical trials to investors. The story won the Scripps Howard National Journalism Award and several other national prizes. Luke holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and during the 2005-2006 academic year, he was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT.