Vivus gains on Qsymia approval

Vivus Inc. (NASDAQ:VVUS) gained $2.54 (10%) to $29 on Wednesday after FDA approved weight loss drug Qsymia late Tuesday. On a conference call Wednesday, Vivus said the price of the fixed-dose combination of phentermine and topiramate will be announced when the drug becomes available next quarter. Vivus also said it is finalizing the details of a required postmarketing CV trial, which is slated to start by year end. Qsymia is classified as a schedule IV controlled substance based on prior scheduling for phentermine. On Tuesday, shares of Vivus fell $2.24 to $26.46 before FDA approved the drug after the markets closed (see BioCentury, July 17). ...