ARENA ANNOUNCES POSITIVE TRIAL RESULTS FOR ANTI-OBESITY COMPOUND

Arena Pharmaceuticals has announced positive results from its Phase IIb clinical trial of APD356, the company's orally administered drug candidate for the treatment of obesity.

Over the 12-week treatment period, there was a highly statistically significant average weight loss of 4.0, 5.7 and 7.9 pounds at daily doses of 10 mg, 15 mg and 20 mg, respectively, in patients taking APD356, compared to 0.7 pounds for the placebo group.

APD356 was generally well-tolerated at all doses investigated in the trial and there were no apparent effects on heart valves or pulmonary artery pressures. APD356 is a selective agonist of 5-HT2C serotonin receptors, which are located in the hypothalamus, an area of the brain that plays an important role in regulating food intake and metabolism.