An issue surrounding obesity drugs is how to limit their use to the appropriate population. Orexigen is taking a proactive approach with plans for a physician education program that includes an algorithm to guide patient selection and decisions on whether to continue therapy. It is based on analyses that found that weight loss in weeks 4-28 is predictive of a 5% or greater weight loss response at week 56 and logistic modeling that predicts those patients at risk of increases in blood pressure or heart rate.
Used with permission from "The Pink Sheet." Internal Medicine News Digital Network and "The Pink Sheet" are published by Elsevier.