Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ARNA)

[The Other Guy]

The 8k was submitted for a Phase II trial regarding locaserin hydrochloride as a potential aid to smoking cessation.

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, the epidemic of smoking-caused disease in the twentieth century ranks among the greatest American public health catastrophes of the century. Furthermore, unacceptably high levels of smoking-attributable disease and death, and the associated costs, will persist for decades without changes in the approach to slowing and even ending the epidemic. HHS reports that annual smoking-attributable economic costs in the United States estimated for the years 2009-2012 were between $289-332.5 billion, including for direct medical care of adults and lost productivity.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, killing nearly half a million Americans each year. The CDC reports that, in 2012, approximately 42 million US adults were current cigarette smokers, and the CDC's analysis of 2010 survey data found that nearly 70% of US smokers wanted to completely stop smoking.

This could be a nice ace in the hole for Arena and Eisai. 12 week double-blind trial with 600 patients. Just a small percentage of the roughly $100 billion annual spend would make Belviq a multi-billion dollar drug.