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3 Pharma Companies Fighting Obesity

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one-third of American adults are obese. In addition to that, the CDC also says that about 17 percent of American children and teens are obese.

Being obese, the agency says, puts people at risk of conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke -- the data technically qualifies obesity as a national epidemic.

Obesity is also the second-leading cause of preventable deaths in the U.S., the CDC adds.

So, what pharmaceutical companies could be providing solutions?

Related: What Are The Best-Selling Drugs Of 2014?

Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: OREX)

Orexigen pushed through the third FDA-approved weight loss drug over the last decade in September. The drug is marketed under the name Contrave. Contrave is a combination drug containing bupropion and naltrexon, which are already approved by the FDA.

Clinical trials show that subjects who took Contrave lost an average of 5 percent of their body weight.

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARNA)

Arena, meanwhile, launched itself into the drug market in June 2012 when it got approval for Belviq, which is known with the generic name Lorcaserin. Belviq was the first new prescription diet pill cleared for sale in the U.S. in 13 years, according to Bloomberg.

Belviq is Arena’s only approved drug.

However, information available on the company’s website shows that the company has four other drug candidates in the pipeline.

Arena partnered with Eisai Co., Ltd (OTC: ESALY) to market and distribute the drug in most territories worldwide.

VIVUS, Inc. (NASDAQ: VVUS)

Vivus, lastly, pushed through the second weight loss drug since 1999 after Belviq in July 2012. The drug is marketed under the name Qsymia, and is a combination drug that contains already approved phentermine and topiramate.

Inferring from the drug’s clinical trials, Qsymia is more effective than both Contrave and Belviq, having reduced subjects’ body weight by an average of 9 percent.

Stendra is the company’s only other drug that has been approved by the FDA.

See more from Benzinga

© 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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