Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a company focuses on discovering, developing and commercializing drugs to address unmet medical needs, and Eisai Inc., announced that the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted Arena US Patent No. 8,999,970, which describes a method for selecting appropriate patients based on renal function for Belviq (lorcaserin HCl), a serotonin 2C receptor agonist approved for weight management.

"Seeking strong intellectual property protection has always been a key component of Arena's business model," said Jack Lief, Arena's president and chief executive officer. "We expect this new patent to extend exclusivity for Belviq until 2033."

In addition to this method-of-treatment patent, composition of matter patents for Belviq are issued in major jurisdictions globally that, in most cases, are capable of continuing into 2023. Arena has filed applications for patent term extension on patents directed to composition of matter in the United States, which, if granted, would extend the composition of matter patent term for Belviq into 2026 or potentially 2027.

Belviq is a serotonin 2C receptor agonist indicated in the United States as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management in adults who have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or greater (obese), or BMI of 27 kg/m2 or greater (overweight) with at least one weight-related medical condition, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes. The safety and efficacy of coadministration of Belviq with other products intended for weight loss, including prescription drugs (e.g., phentermine), over-the-counter drugs, and herbal preparations, have not been established. The effect of Belviq on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality has not been established.

Belviq is believed to decrease food consumption and promote satiety by selectively activating serotonin 2C receptors in the brain. The exact mechanism of action of Belviq is not known.

Belviq is approved for weight management by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Ministry of Food and Drug Substances (MFDS) in South Korea. Eisai Inc. and Ildong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., market and distribute Belviq in the United States and South Korea, respectively, and Arena manufactures and supplies the finished commercial product from its facility in Switzerland.