Orexigen Therapeutics Announces Continued Rapid Enrollment into the Light Study

Orexigen Therapeutics

today announced an update to the projected timeframe for enrollment of patients in the Light Study, the cardiovascular outcomes clinical trial evaluating Contrave® (naltrexone SR/ bupropion SR).  Enrollment into the study has continued without abatement at a rate faster than originally expected, with more than 4,500 patients enrolled as of August 31.  Orexigen now expects to close enrollment to new patients in the fourth quarter of 2012. The primary endpoint of the Light Study is the time to occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) during randomized treatment for Contrave compared to placebo. After at least 87 MACE have been adjudicated, the study's independent Data Monitoring Committee will conduct an interim analysis. If the interim analysis excludes a doubling of risk of MACE in patients receiving Contrave compared to placebo, Orexigen plans to resubmit the Contrave New Drug Application (NDA) to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval. The exclusion of a doubling of risk of MACE was established as the threshold for approvability of Contrave during discussions with the FDA prior to the start of the Light Study. "By successfully expediting patient enrollment into the Light