Arena reports successful lorcaserin trial

Arena Pharmaceuticals says patients in a mid-stage trial of weight-loss drug lorcaserin achieved a statistically significant loss of weight during the 12-week study. At the highest dose level, patients achieved an average loss of 7.9 pounds, compared to .7 pounds among subjects taking a placebo. About a third of those patients at the highest dose level lost five percent or more of their body weight.

"Lorcaserin is a highly selective compound which works on a specific serotonin receptor located in the hypothalamus, an area of the brain known to impact satiety and influence metabolic rate," said Jack Lief, Arena's president and CEO. "Based on the strength of these data, we are currently in discussions with the FDA about initiating a Phase III trial of lorcaserin in obese patients later this year."

- here's the release on Arena