Good News for Vivus and Arena

Even after beating its competitors to market with its weight loss drug Qsymia, Vivus (NAS: VVUS) sales have left investors wanting. At roughly $160 per month, the price was causing a 30% abandonment rate with patients. But now, a revised Aetna (NYS: AET) clinical policy bulletin deemed weight loss drugs Qsymia and Arena Pharmaceutical's (NAS: ARNA) Belviq as medically necessary, potentially expanding coverage, and consequently boosting both initial sales and continued use of the drug for many patients. The announcement has caused share prices of several drug makers in this space to jump.

Editors Note: In this video, it is implied that drugs by GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer were also added to Aetna's clinical policy bulletin, when they were already listed.

The ravages of America's obesity epidemic are a challenge of epic proportions. However, a group of drug companies is looking to change everything. Newly-approved drugs, including one developed by VIVUS, could help to reverse this deadly course while reaping massive profits for investors in the process. The profit opportunity is immense, but plenty of risks still exist, so make sure you understand the full story behind VIVUS in the Fool's brand new premium research service. It's such an important story that we have our top health-care writer on the job, so make sure to secure a copy today by clicking here now.

The article Good News for Vivus and Arena originally appeared on Fool.com.

Brenton Flynn has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. David Williamson has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. The Motley Fool owns shares of GlaxoSmithKline. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend GlaxoSmithKline and McKesson. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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