Eisai and Arena Pharmaceuticals Announce Presentation of Lorcaserin HCl Data at 2015 Annual Obesity Week Meeting

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., and SAN DIEGO, Nov. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Eisai Inc. and Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARNA) announced today that six posters regarding lorcaserin HCl data will be presented during ObesityWeekSM. Hosted by The Obesity Society and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, the meeting is taking place November 2-6, 2015, in Los Angeles, California.

The following data will be presented during "Poster Session 1" on Wednesday, November 4, 2015, from 11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. (Pacific Time):

• Urinary Catecholamines as a Marker of Lorcaserin Action on Vital Signs Poster Number: T-P-3156This post-hoc analysis of the TULIP study evaluated urinary catecholamines in patients treated with lorcaserin to assess the impact of lorcaserin on sympathetic nervous system activity (SNSA).
• Network Meta-Analysis of Treatments for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and ObesityPoster Number: T-P-3151This network meta-analysis, consisting of a systematic review of randomized clinical trials, compared the impact of adding lorcaserin versus a second non-insulin, anti-diabetic medication to metformin on weight and glycemic control. 
• Cost Implication of Using Lorcaserin in Weight Management Prior to Bariatric Surgery Poster Number: T-P-3139This economic model, conducted in a hypothetical US health plan of one million members over a 2-year horizon, evaluated the cost implication of lorcaserin in weight management prior to bariatric surgery from the payers' perspective.
• The Impact of Weight Loss Therapy on Food Cravings: An Exploratory Analysis From a 12-Week Pilot Safety Study With Lorcaserin and Phentermine Poster Number: T-P-3154This analysis of adults with overweight or obesity evaluated the impact of weight loss with lorcaserin alone or in combination with two doses of immediate-release phentermine on general and specific cravings from the Food Craving Inventory (FCI).
• The Impact of Weight Loss Therapy on Control of Eating: An Exploratory Analysis From a 12-Week Pilot Safety Study Poster Number: T-P-3153This analysis of adults with overweight or obesity used the Control of Eating Questionnaire (COEQ) to evaluate the impact of lorcaserin alone or lorcaserin with two doses of immediate-release phentermine on patients' ability to manage hunger and cravings during weight loss treatment.
• Assessment of Liver Function in Patients Treated With Lorcaserin (LOR) Alone and in Combination With Immediate-Release Phentermine (PHEN) Poster Number: T-P-3135This post-hoc analysis evaluated liver function parameters in a pilot safety study of patients treated with lorcaserin alone or in combination with two doses of immediate-release phentermine.

Lorcaserin includes the following limitations of use: the safety and efficacy of coadministration of lorcaserin with other products for weight loss and the effect of lorcaserin on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality have not been established.

About BELVIQ® (lorcaserin HCl) CIV for Chronic Weight Management

Lorcaserin is marketed in the United States under the brand name BELVIQ. BELVIQ is a serotonin 2C receptor agonist approved 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. It is not known if BELVIQ is safe and effective when taken with other prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal weight loss products, nor is it known if BELVIQ changes the risk of heart problems or stroke, or death due to heart problems or stroke. BELVIQ is also approved for weight management in South Korea.

For more information about BELVIQ, click here for the full Product Information or visit www.BELVIQ.com.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Contraindication

• BELVIQ should not be taken during pregnancy or by women who are planning to become pregnant.

Warnings and Precautions

• BELVIQ is a serotonergic drug. The development of potentially life-threatening serotonin syndrome or Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS)-like reactions have been reported during use of serotonergic drugs, including, but not limited to, selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, bupropion, triptans, dietary supplements such as St. John's Wort and tryptophan, drugs that impair metabolism of serotonin (including monoamine oxidase inhibitors), dextromethorphan, lithium, tramadol, antipsychotics or other dopamine antagonists, particularly when used in combination. Patients should be monitored for the emergence of serotonin syndrome symptoms or NMS-like reactions, including agitation, hallucinations, coma, tachycardia, labile blood pressure, hyperthermia, hyperreflexia, incoordination, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle rigidity. Treatment with BELVIQ and any concomitant serotonergic or antidopaminergic agents should be discontinued immediately if the above events occur, and supportive symptomatic treatment should be initiated.
• Patients should not take BELVIQ in combination with drugs that have been associated with valvular heart disease (e.g., cabergoline). In clinical trials, 2.4% of patients taking BELVIQ and 2.0% of patients taking placebo developed valvular regurgitation: none of these patients was symptomatic. BELVIQ should be used with caution in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). Patients who develop signs and symptoms of valvular heart disease, including dyspnea, dependent edema, CHF, or a new cardiac murmur, should be evaluated and discontinuation of BELVIQ should be considered.
• Impairment in attention, memory, somnolence, confusion, and fatigue, have been reported in patients taking BELVIQ. Patients should not drive a car or operate heavy machinery until they know how BELVIQ affects them.
• The recommended dose of 10 mg twice daily should not be exceeded, as higher doses may cause euphoria, hallucination, and dissociation. Monitor patients for the development or worsening of depression, suicidal thoughts or behaviors, and/or any changes in mood. Discontinue BELVIQ in patients who develop suicidal thoughts or behaviors.
• Weight loss may increase the risk of hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who are being treated with antidiabetic medications, so measurement of blood sugar levels before and during treatment with BELVIQ is recommended. Decreases in doses of antidiabetic medications or changes in medication regimen should be considered.
• Men who experience priapism should immediately discontinue BELVIQ and seek emergency medical attention. BELVIQ should be used with caution with erectile dysfunction medications. BELVIQ should be used with caution in men who have conditions that might predispose them to priapism (e.g., sickle cell anemia, multiple myeloma, or leukemia), or in men with anatomical deformation of the penis (e.g., angulation, cavernosal fibrosis, or Peyronie's disease).
• Because BELVIQ may cause a slow heartbeat, it should be used with caution in patients with a history of bradycardia or heart block greater than first degree.
• Consider monitoring for CBC changes, prolactin excess, and pulmonary hypertension.

Most Common Adverse Reactions

• In patients without diabetes: headache (17%), dizziness (9%), fatigue (7%), nausea (8%), dry mouth (5%), and constipation (6%).
• In patients with diabetes: hypoglycemia (29%), headache (15%), back pain (12%), cough (8%), and fatigue (7%).

Nursing Mothers

• BELVIQ should not be taken by women who are nursing.

BELVIQ is a federally controlled substance (CIV) because it may be abused or lead to dependence.

About Arena Pharmaceuticals

Arena embraces the challenge of improving health by seeking to bring innovative medicines targeting G protein-coupled receptors to patients. Arena's focus is discovering, developing and commercializing drugs to address unmet medical needs, and BELVIQ® (lorcaserin HCl) is Arena's first internally discovered drug approved for marketing. Arena has US operations located in San Diego, California, and operations outside of the United States, including its commercial manufacturing facility, located in Zofingen, Switzerland. For more information, visit Arena's website at www.arenapharm.com.

Arena Pharmaceuticals® and Arena® are registered service marks of Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. BELVIQ® is a registered trademark of Arena Pharmaceuticals GmbH.

About Eisai Inc.

At Eisai Inc., human health care is our goal. We give our first thoughts to patients and their families, and helping to increase the benefits health care provides. As the U.S. pharmaceutical subsidiary of Tokyo-based Eisai Co., Ltd., we have a passionate commitment to patient care that is the driving force behind our efforts to help address unmet medical needs. We are a fully integrated pharmaceutical business with discovery, clinical, manufacturing and marketing capabilities. Our key areas of commercial focus include oncology and specialty care (Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy and metabolic disorders). To learn more about Eisai Inc., please visit us at www.eisai.com/US.

Eisai Inc. has affiliates that are part of a global product creation organization that includes R&D facilities in Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, as well as a global demand chain organization that includes manufacturing facilities in Maryland and North Carolina. Eisai's global areas of R&D focus include neuroscience; oncology; metabolic disorders; vascular, inflammatory and immunological reaction; and antibody-based programs.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements include statements about the marketing, therapeutic indication, use, safety, efficacy, mechanism of action and potential of BELVIQ or lorcaserin; presentation of data; embracing the challenge of improving health; seeking to bring innovative medicines to patients; and Arena's focus, plans, goals, strategy, expectations, research and development programs, and ability to discover and develop compounds and commercialize drugs. For such statements, Arena claims the protection of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual events or results may differ materially from Arena's expectations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following: risks related to commercializing drugs, including regulatory, manufacturing, supply and marketing issues and the availability and use of BELVIQ or lorcaserin; cash and revenues generated from BELVIQ, including the impact of competition; the risk that Arena's revenues are based in part on estimates, judgment and accounting policies, and incorrect estimates or disagreement regarding estimates or accounting policies may result in changes to Arena's guidance or previously reported results; the timing and outcome of regulatory review is uncertain, and lorcaserin may not be approved for marketing in combination with another drug, for another indication or using a different formulation or in any other territory for any indication; regulatory decisions in one territory may impact other regulatory decisions and Arena's business prospects; government and commercial reimbursement and pricing decisions; risks related to relying on collaborative arrangements; the timing and receipt of payments and fees, if any, from collaborators; the entry into or modification or termination of collaborative arrangements; unexpected or unfavorable new data; nonclinical and clinical data is voluminous and detailed, and regulatory agencies may interpret or weigh the importance of data differently and reach different conclusions than Arena or others, request additional information, have additional recommendations or change their guidance or requirements before or after approval; data and other information related to any of Arena's research and development may not meet regulatory requirements or otherwise be sufficient for (or Arena or a collaborator may not pursue) further research and development, regulatory review or approval or continued marketing; Arena's and third parties' intellectual property rights; the timing, success and cost of Arena's research and development and related strategy and decisions; results of clinical trials and other studies are subject to different interpretations and may not be predictive of future results; clinical trials and other studies may not proceed at the time or in the manner expected or at all; having adequate funds; and satisfactory resolution of litigation or other disagreements with others. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by Arena's forward-looking statements are disclosed in Arena's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements represent Arena's judgment as of the time of this release. Arena disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements, other than as may be required under applicable law.

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SOURCE Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Eisai Inc.