The US Food and Drug Administration's Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee recommended that Vivus, Inc's Qnexa be granted marketing approval for the treatment of obesity in adults. The Committee voted 20 to 2, on the recommendation for an approval based on a favourable benefit-risk profile.

"We are pleased with the panel's approval recommendation in support of the safety and efficacy of Qnexa," said Peter Tam, president of Vivus. "We look forward to working with the FDA as they complete their evaluation. Obesity is a serious medical condition, and we are committed to making Qnexa available and providing physicians with a new medical treatment option in their battle with this public health epidemic."

The FDA is not bound by the recommendations of its advisory committees, but will consider the guidance during the review of the New Drug Application (NDA) that was submitted for Qnexa in October 2011. The scheduled Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) date for Qnexa is April 17, 2012.

Qnexa [kyoo-nek-suh] is an investigational drug candidate being developed to address weight loss, type 2 Diabetes and obstructive sleep apnoea. Qnexa is a once-a-day, proprietary, oral, controlled-release formulation of low-dose phentermine and topiramate, which is designed to decrease appetite and increase satiety (the sense of feeling full), the two main mechanisms that impact eating behaviour. In phase 2 and 3 clinical data to date, patients taking Qnexa have demonstrated statistically significant weight loss, glycemic control, and improvement in cardiovascular risk factors, when used in combination with a diet and lifestyle modification program.

Vivus is a biopharmaceutical company developing therapies to address obesity, sleep apnoea, diabetes and male sexual health.