Vivus planning $200 million note offering

Vivus Inc. (NASDAQ:VVUS) said it plans to raise $200 million through the sale of unsecured senior convertible notes due May 1, 2020. The company markets obesity drug Qsymia phentermine/topiramate in the U.S. Last week, Vivus disclosed in a conference call to discuss its 1Q13 earnings that it began discussions with large pharmas on how to "maximize[e] the value" of the low-dose combination of phentermine and topiramate. Vivus launched Qsymia in the U.S. in September, but sales have disappointed (see BioCentury Extra, May 8). ...