Phentermine-Topiramate summary slide.pdf (594.72 kB)

Phentermine/Topiramate: Pediatric First Approval

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posted on 2022-08-30, 03:27 authored by Sohita Dhillon

Declarations

Funding The preparation of this review was not supported by any external funding.

Authorship and Conflict of interest During the peer review process the manufacturer of the agent under review was offered an opportunity to comment on the article. Changes resulting from any comments received were made by the authors on the basis of scientific completeness and accuracy. Sohita Dhillon is a contracted employee of Adis International Ltd/Springer Nature and declares no relevant conflicts of interest. All authors contributed to the review and are responsible for the article content.

Ethics approval, Consent to participate, Consent to publish, Availability of data and material, Code availability Not applicable.

Additional information about this Adis Drug Review can be found here.

Abstract

Phentermine/topiramate extended-release capsule (Qsymia^®) is a fixed-dose combination of phentermine and topiramate, which is being developed by VIVUS (a subsidiary of Icahn Enterprises) for the treatment of obesity, sleep apnoea syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The once-daily formulation of phentermine (a sympathomimetic amine) and topiramate is designed to combat obesity by decreasing appetite and increasing satiety. In July 2022, phentermine/topiramate received its first approval in the USA, as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, for chronic weight management in pediatric patients aged ≥ 12 years with BMI in the 95th percentile or greater standardized for age and sex. Phentermine/topiramate is approved in the US and South Korea for obesity in adults. Clinical development of phentermine/topiramate for sleep apnoea syndrome and type-2 diabetes in obese patients and preclinical development for NASH is ongoing in the US. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of phentermine/topiramate leading to this pediatric first approval for chronic weight management in adolescents.