(Trying out Typepad's new "Quick Compose" feature, so if this post looks funny, I'll have to edit it later) The FDA's newly announced decision date of 1/31/2011 for OREX's Contrave is exactly 10 months after OREX submitted its New Drug Application (NDA) for Contrave to the FDA. This is further confirmation (reassurance) that the process so far is on time.

FDA has also tentatively set a panel meeting for Contrave for Dec 7, 2010, separate from the Qnexa review coming up in mid-July and the lorcaserin review in September. This is, on balance, fine news for OREX and confirms our analysis that the fortunes of these three obesity drugs, while linked insofar as they are all in the obesity space, also may rise and fall independently, particularly as regards approval.

Finally, let's not all get too excited about the (long-established) fact that Avandia, also being reviewed in July, has been the subject of cardiovascular concerns. While this is true, it also is not new, and cardio effects of Qnexa have been watched both inside and outside VVUS throughout Phase III.