Novartis To Market Fanapt
Novartis today announced that it’s entered into an agreement to market Vanda Pharmaceuticals’ recently approved antipsychotic Fanapt. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of efficacy and side effect data the company offers to doctors and the public because, to date, I cannot get an answer out of Vanda. The drug is approved for schizophrenia. Novarti is paying Vanda $200 million up front for American and Canadian marketing rights to the drug.
In a press release the company noted:
“In the 1970s, Novartis pioneered the first atypical antipsychotic medication which was considered a breakthrough for patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia.”
That drug was Clozaril and we know how that worked out.
In the same press release, the company offers information on Fanapt-associated weight gain and QT interval prolongation.
“Based on the pooled data from the four placebo-controlled, 4- or 6-week, fixed- or flexible-dose studies, the proportions of patients having a weight gain of greater than or equal to 7% body weight was 12% for Fanapt 10-16 mg/day, 18% for Fanapt 20-24 mg/day, and 13% for Fanapt (combined doses) versus 4% for placebo.”
Well, at least they admit to some weight gain issues.
Related posts:
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- Here Comes Another New Antipsychotic
- Seroquel Promoted As Weight Neutral When Company Knew It Produced Large Weight Gain
- AstraZeneca Defends Seroquel Weight Gain Warnings
- FDA Reviewers Recommend Review Of Antipsychotic-Induced Weight Gain In Kids
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