Zydus Cadila gets approval for obesity drug in USA

Zydus Cadila said it received the final approval from the US FDA to market obesity drug Phentermine Hydrochloride.

The drug will be marketed in the form of orally disintegrating tablets in strengths of 15 mg, 30 mg, and 37.5 mg.

The drug is used to treat obesity in people with risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes and will be produced at the group’s formulations manufacturing facility at Moraiya in Ahmedabad.

Obesity treatment is fast growing and large practice. The company, however, did not give an estimate of the market size of the drug.

The group now has more than 120 approvals and has so far filed over 300 ANDAS since the commencement of the filing process in FY 2003-04.