Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. (OREX), And Three Pipeline Obesity Treatments You Should Watch

Tesofensine

Don’t worry if you have never heard of tesofensine. The drug is owned by a small Denmark-based biopharmaceutical company named NeuroSearch and was originally investigated for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. The company nipped the trials after a dismal efficacy showing, but was intrigued by one nagging side effect: weight loss. And a lot of it.

A phase 2 obesity trial with 203 patients demonstrated that tesofensine and diet was much more effective than placebo and diet. That isn’t the exciting part. Over a 24-week period patients taking a dose of just 0.25 mg of the drug lost 4.5% of their body weight, compared to 2% taking placebo. Patients taking 0.50 mg and 1.0 mg lost 9.2% and 10.6%, respectively.

Not only are the weight-loss totals more impressive than competing compounds approved or in development, but the dosing is insanely small. Consider that Contrave consists of 392 mg of active ingredient, Qsymia’s minimum dose totals 26.75 mg, and Belviq must be taken twice daily for a total of 20 mg. Will a dramatically smaller dose result in a safer weight-loss drug?

Foolish bottom line
Before you plunge your portfolio knee-deep into an Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:OREX) position, consider that Contrave and Empatic are the only two drugs in the company’s pipeline. Even with approval, it will have to successfully navigate the marketing phase for either weight-loss therapy to be successful — something Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARNA) and VIVUS, Inc. (NASDAQ:VVUS) have yet to figure out. Of course, the blockbuster potential for a safe and effective obesity treatment remains. Will one of these three pipeline drugs make you a lot of money one day? It is quite possible, but it is still too soon to say.

The article 3 Pipeline Obesity Treatments You Should Watch originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Maxx Chatsko.

Fool contributor Maxx Chatsko has no position in any stocks mentioned. Check out his personal portfolio, his CAPS page, or follow him on Twitter @BlacknGoldFool to keep up with his writing on energy, bioprocessing, and emerging technologies.The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned, either.

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