Orexigen Therapeutics Launches Next Stage of a Dynamic Campaign to Educate Consumers About Contrave®

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: OREX) announced today the launch of the next stage of "Brains Behind Weight Loss," the Company's national direct-to-consumer advertising campaign for Contrave® (naltrexone HCl/bupropion HCl extended release tablets).  The campaign is designed to demonstrate to patients how the brain plays an important role in weight loss.  Contrave is the number one prescribed weight-loss brand and the DTC campaign spans across TV and digital with a strong presence in social media.  Contrave is the first and only prescription pharmaceutical brand to have an active presence on Instagram to reach patients searching for weight-loss information.

Leveraging the start of the fall season, the DTC campaign will run through mid-October.  The campaign continues to focus on empowering women, as more than 80 percent of patients being treated are women and market research has demonstrated that women are more likely to take action or talk to a doctor about their struggle with weight loss.

The campaign also introduces Orexigen's Get Contrave Now telemedicine and free home delivery platform, which is available nationwide.  By visiting GetContraveNow.com, patients have the choice of finding a weight-loss specialist near them or talking to a doctor online from the comfort of their home.  Telemedicine and free home delivery offer patients benefits such as convenience, immediacy and privacy.  The national roll-out of Get Contrave Now follows a successful pilot program in California and Texas.

"Telemedicine is the future of healthcare, as evidenced by groundbreaking programs launched by industry leaders such as Kaiser Permanente, Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Cleveland Clinic," said Dr. Thomas Cannell, EVP, Chief Operating Officer and President of Global Commercial Products at Orexigen.  "As a company that is driven to help improve the health and lives of patients struggling to lose weight, we believe our strategy leverages telemedicine as a sustainable and powerful digital health trend that provides high quality healthcare, with an Amazon-like ease and speed."

"For many women, the fall, or 'back to school' season, is an opportunity to reset their personal goals and get 'back to routine.'  We want to help patients and healthcare professionals have engaging and motivating discussions about their weight-loss struggle and treatment options," said Salma Jutt, Vice President of U.S. Marketing at Orexigen.  "There is still a social stigma affecting patients who struggle with their weight and still a belief that weight issues are due to lifestyle choices.  Patients may not know their brain plays a role in weight loss, so they don't talk openly about their struggle and they may not seek treatment options, such as adding Contrave to their diet and exercise regimen."

In the U.S., more than two in three adults are considered overweight or struggling with obesity, and the prevalence of patients who are overweight or struggling with obesity is rapidly increasing.ⁱ  In addition, only 2 percent of eligible adults are treated with a prescription weight-loss medication.

About Contrave
Contrave is a prescription-only, FDA-approved weight-loss medication believed to work on two areas of the brain—the hunger center and the reward system—to reduce hunger and help control cravings.  The exact neurochemical effects of Contrave leading to weight loss are not fully understood.  Contrave contains two medicines, bupropion, a relatively weak inhibitor of the neuronal reuptake of dopamine and norepinephrine and naltrexone, an opioid antagonist.

Contrave, approved by the FDA in September 2014, is indicated for use as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management in adults with an initial body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or greater (obese), or 27 kg/m2 or greater (overweight) in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition (e.g., hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus or dyslipidemia).

Orexigen is committed to helping eligible patients learn about Contrave and recommends patients visit www.contrave.com for additional information.

For more information and full prescribing information please visit www.contrave.com.

Important Safety Information for CONTRAVE

(naltrexone HCl and bupropion HCl) 8 mg/90 mg extended-release tablets

One of the ingredients in CONTRAVE, bupropion, may increase the risk of suicidal thinking in children, adolescents, and young adults.  CONTRAVE patients should be monitored for suicidal thoughts and behaviors.  In patients taking bupropion for smoking cessation, serious neuropsychiatric adverse events have been reported.  CONTRAVE is not approved for use in children under the age of 18.

Stop taking CONTRAVE and call a healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you: thoughts about suicide or dying; attempts to commit suicide; depression; anxiety; feeling agitated or restless; panic attacks; trouble sleeping (insomnia); irritability; aggression, anger, or violence; acting on dangerous impulses; an extreme increase in activity and talking (mania); other unusual changes in behavior or mood.

Do not take CONTRAVE if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure; have or have had seizures; use other medicines that contain bupropion such as WELLBUTRIN, APLENZIN or ZYBAN; have or have had an eating disorder; are dependent on opioid pain medicines or use medicines to help stop taking opioids such as methadone or buprenorphine, or are in opiate withdrawal; drink a lot of alcohol and abruptly stop drinking; are allergic to any of the ingredients in CONTRAVE; or are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

Before taking CONTRAVE, tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Do not take any other medicines while you are taking CONTRAVE unless your healthcare provider says it is okay.

Tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions including if you have: depression or other mental illnesses; attempted suicide; seizures; head injury; tumor or infection of brain or spine; low blood sugar or low sodium; liver or kidney problems; high blood pressure; heart attack, heart problems, or stroke; eating disorder; drinking a lot of alcohol; prescription medicine or street drug abuse; are 65 or older; diabetes; pregnant; or breastfeeding.

CONTRAVE may cause serious side effects, including:

Seizures.  There is a risk of having a seizure when you take CONTRAVE.  If you have a seizure, stop taking CONTRAVE, tell your healthcare provider right away.   

Risk of opioid overdose.  Do not take large amounts of opioids, including opioid-containing medicines, such as heroin or prescription pain pills, to try to overcome the opioid-blocking effects of naltrexone.

Sudden opioid withdrawal.  Do not use any type of opioid for at least 7 to 10 days before starting CONTRAVE.

Severe allergic reactions.  Stop taking CONTRAVE and get medical help immediately if you have any signs and symptoms of severe allergic reactions: rash, itching, hives, fever, swollen lymph glands, painful sores in your mouth or around your eyes, swelling of your lips or tongue, chest pain, or trouble breathing.
Increases in blood pressure or heart rate.

Liver damage or hepatitis.  Stop taking CONTRAVE if you have any symptoms of liver problems: stomach area pain lasting more than a few days, dark urine, yellowing of the whites of your eyes, or tiredness.

Manic episodes.

Visual problems (angle-closure glaucoma).  Signs and symptoms may include: eye pain, changes in vision, swelling or redness in or around the eye.

Increased risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus who also take medicines to treat their diabetes (such as insulin or sulfonylureas).

The most common side effects of CONTRAVE include nausea, constipation, headache, vomiting, dizziness, trouble sleeping, dry mouth, and diarrhea.

These are not all the possible side effects of CONTRAVE. Tell your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or does not go away.

Use of CONTRAVE

CONTRAVE is a prescription weight-loss medicine that may help some adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or greater (obese), or adults with a BMI of 27 kg/m2 or greater (overweight) with at least one weight-related medical problem such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes, lose weight and keep the weight off.

• CONTRAVE should be used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity
• It is not known if CONTRAVE changes your risk of heart problems or stroke or of death due to heart problems or stroke
• It is not known if CONTRAVE is safe and effective when taken with other prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal weight-loss products

CONTRAVE is not approved to treat depression or other mental illnesses, or to help people quit smoking (smoking cessation).  One of the ingredients in CONTRAVE, bupropion, is the same ingredient in some other medicines used to treat depression and to help people quit smoking.

Ask your doctor or healthcare professional if CONTRAVE is right for you.  Please see Full Prescribing Information, including Medication Guide, for CONTRAVE.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA.  Visit https://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/default.htm or call 1‑800‑FDA‑1088.

About Orexigen Therapeutics
Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of weight loss and obesity.  The company's mission is to help improve the health and lives of patients struggling to lose weight.  Orexigen's first product, Contrave® (naltrexone HCl and bupropion HCl extended release), was approved in the U.S. in September 2014.  In the European Union, the medicine has been approved under the brand name Mysimba™ (naltrexone HCl / bupropion HCl prolonged release).  Millions around the globe continue to face challenges of weight loss.  Orexigen is undertaking a range of development and commercialization activities, both on its own and with strategic partners, to bring Contrave / Mysimba to patients around the world.  As a patient-centric company, Orexigen continues to focus not only on innovating medicine for the treatment of obesity, but to also offer unique resources and healthcare delivery options to improve the patient experience.  Further information about Orexigen can be found at www.orexigen.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Orexigen cautions you that statements included in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements.  Words such as "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "indicates," "will," "should," "intends," "potential," "suggests," "assuming," "designed" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.  These statements are based on the company's current beliefs and expectations.  These forward-looking statements include statements regarding: the potential success of marketing and commercialization of Contrave in the United States, including Orexigen's national direct-to-consumer advertising campaign and telemedicine and free home delivery platform; and the potential growth of Contrave sales.

The inclusion of forward‐looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by Orexigen that any of its plans will be achieved.  Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in this release due to the risk and uncertainties inherent in the Orexigen business, including, without limitation: the potential that the marketing and commercialization of Contrave/Mysimba will not be successful; the company's ability to adequately inform consumers about Contrave; the company's ability to successfully commercialize Contrave with a specialty sales force in the United States; the capabilities and performance of various third parties on which it relies for a number of activities related to the manufacture, development and commercialization of Contrave/Mysimba; the estimates of the capacity of manufacturing and the company's ability to secure additional manufacturing capabilities; the company's ability to successfully complete the post-marketing requirement studies for Contrave; the therapeutic and commercial value of Contrave/Mysimba; competition in the global obesity market, particularly from existing therapies; the company's failure to successfully acquire, develop and market additional product candidates or approved products; the company's ability to obtain and maintain global intellectual property protection for Contrave and Mysimba; the potential for a Delaware court to determine that one or more of the company's patents is not valid or that Actavis' proposed generic product is not infringing each of the patents at issue; other legal or regulatory proceedings against Orexigen, as well as potential reputational harm, as a result of misleading public claims about Orexigen; the company's ability to maintain sufficient capital to fund its operations for the foreseeable future; the company's ability to satisfy covenants in the indentures for its outstanding indebtedness, including one requirement that the company generate consolidated net product sales of least $100 million for fiscal 2017; the company's ability to satisfy the applicable listing standards of the NASDAQ Global Market; and other risks described in Orexigen's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward‐looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and Orexigen undertakes no obligation to revise or update this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. Further information regarding these and other risks will be included under the heading "Risk Factors" in Orexigen's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q which we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 9, 2017 and its other reports, which are available from the SEC's website (www.sec.gov) and on Orexigen's website (www.orexigen.com) under the heading "Investors."  All forward‐looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.  This caution is made under the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Orexigen Contacts:
Jason Keyes
Chief Financial Officer 
Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. 
+1-858-875-8600
[email protected]

Erika Hackmann
Y&R PR (Media Contact for Orexigen)
+1-917-538-3375
[email protected]

ⁱ CDC – National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013-2014 https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/obesity_adult_13_14/obesity_adult_13_14.pdf

SOURCE Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.orexigen.com