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Aetna adds coverage for Qsymia, Belviq

November 21, 2012 11:36 PM UTC

Health benefits manager Aetna Inc. (NYSE:AET) will now reimburse obesity drugs Belviq lorcaserin from Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ARNA) and Qsymia phentermine/topiramate from Vivus Inc. (NASDAQ:VVUS). Aetna said in a policy bulletin that it considers Qsymia and Belviq along with clinical supervision "medically necessary" for members who failed to lose at least one pound per week after at least six months on a weight loss regimen that includes a low calorie diet, increased physical activity and behavioral therapy. The news sent shares of Vivus up $1.38 (13%) to $11.73 on Wednesday. Arena was up $0.27 to $9.20.

Aetna said its coverage change does not apply to the "many" Aetna plans that specifically exclude coverage of weight loss drugs. The company did not disclose how many of its plans have this exclusion or how many policyholders will now be eligible for reimbursement of Qsymia and Belviq. Aetna, which could not be reached for details, also did not disclose the tier or level of co-pay for the obesity drugs. ...