MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 26, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VIVUS,Inc. (Nasdaq:VVUS) today announced that a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) has been accepted by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the review of avanafil, its investigational drug for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). The EMA submission follows the successful completion of an extensive phase 3 program for avanafil, which included over 1,350 patients.

"The unique profile of avanafil, including its onset of action and highly selective profile, make it an attractive treatment alternative for the more than 20 million European men suffering with ED," stated Francesco Montorsi, MD, Professor of Urology and Director of the Urology Research Institute at the Universita' Vita e Salute San Raffaele in Milan, Italy. "Successful intercourse was reported in some patients in as little as 15 minutes after dosing. The comprehensive results from the development program suggest avanafil, if approved, could effectively compete in the $4 billion worldwide ED market."

The MAA includes results from three placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, multicenter studies: REVIVE, which included 646 men from the general population with ED, REVIVE-Diabetes, which included 390 diabetics, and REVIVE-RP, which included 298 men following radical prostatectomy. Also included are the results from the year-long safety study, TA-314, which included 712 continuation patients from the REVIVE and REVIVE-Diabetes studies. Previously reported highlights from the avanafil development program include: 

• All doses tested , 50 mg, 100 mg, and 200 mg, met each of the co-primary efficacy endpoints
• Erections sufficient for penetration (SEP2) were observed in 77% and 63% of avanafil patients at the 200 mg dose, as compared to 54% and 42% of placebo patients in the REVIVE and REVIVE-Diabetes studies, respectively
• Successful intercourse (SEP3) was achieved in 57% and 40% of avanafil patients at the 200 mg dose, as compared to 27% and 20% of placebo patients in the REVIVE and REVIVE-Diabetes studies, respectively
• Significant improvement in erectile function as measured by IIEF-EF domain score was observed for all doses in avanafil-treated patients
• Across all the phase 3 studies, successful intercourse (SEP3) was observed in some avanafil-treated patients as early as 15 minutes after dosing
• The most common side effects were headache, flushing, nasopharyngitis and nasal congestion   
• There were no drug-related serious adverse events reported in the studies

About Avanafil

Avanafil is an oral investigational drug being developed for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.  Avanafil is a highly selective phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor licensed from Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation. VIVUS (VVUS) owns worldwide development and commercial rights to avanafil for the treatment of sexual dysfunction, with the exception of certain Asian Pacific Rim countries. In South Korea, avanafil is approved and is marketed by JW Pharma under the brand name Zepeed. VIVUS has submitted an NDA for avanafil, a PDE5 inhibitor being studied for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, with an FDA action date of April 29, 2012.

About VIVUS

VIVUS is a biopharmaceutical company developing therapies to address obesity, sleep apnea, diabetes and male sexual health. The company's lead investigational product in clinical development, Qnexa, has completed phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of obesity and is currently being considered for approval by US and EU regulators. VIVUS received a Complete Response Letter, or CRL, to the initial Qnexa NDA on October 28, 2010. We resubmitted the Qnexa NDA in October 2011, with an FDA action date of April 17, 2012. Qnexa is also in phase 2 clinical development for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea. For more information about the company, please visit www.vivus.com. 

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "anticipate," "believe," "forecast," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "likely," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "opportunity" and "should," among others. There are a number of factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the response from the United States Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, to our resubmission of the New Drug Application, or NDA, for Qnexa for the treatment of obesity, including weight loss and maintenance of weight loss, recommended for obese patients (BMI e30 kg/m2), or overweight patients (BMI e27 kg/m2) with weight-related co-morbidities such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, or central adiposity (abdominal obesity), with a contraindication that excludes the use of Qnexa by women who are pregnant; the timing and final results of the retrospective observational study of fetal outcomes in infants born to mothers exposed to topiramate during pregnancy, or FORTRESS; the reliability of the electronic medical claims healthcare databases used in FORTRESS; the FDA's interpretation of and agreement with the information VIVUS submitted relating to teratogenicity and cardiovascular safety; the FDA's interpretation of the data from our SEQUEL study (OB-305) and Sleep Apnea study (OB-204); that we may be required to provide further analysis of clinical trial data; our response to questions and requests for additional information including additional pre-clinical or clinical studies from the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, and the CHMP of the Marketing Authorization Application, or MAA, for Qnexa; the results of external studies to assess the teratogenic risk of topiramate; results of the upcoming advisory meeting on cardiovascular assessment for obesity drugs; whether or not the FDA chooses to follow the recommendation of the second advisory committee in its vote in favor of approval of Qnexa; the impact, if any, of the agreement and initiation by one of our competitors with an obesity compound to conduct or complete a cardiovascular outcomes study pre-approval; impact on future sales based on specific indication and contraindications contained in the label and extent of the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS and distribution system for Qnexa, if approved; the FDA's response to the NDA filed for avanafil; our ability to successfully commercialize or establish a marketing partnership for avanafil or our partner's ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval to manufacture and adequately supply avanafil for commercial use; our history of losses and variable quarterly results; substantial competition; risks related to the failure to protect our intellectual property and litigation in which we may become involved; uncertainties of government or third party payer reimbursement; our reliance on sole source suppliers; our limited sales and marketing efforts and our reliance on third parties; failure to continue to develop innovative investigational drug candidates and drugs; risks related to the failure to obtain FDA or foreign authority clearances or approvals and noncompliance with FDA or foreign authority regulations; our ability to demonstrate through clinical testing the safety and effectiveness of our investigational drug candidates; our dependence on the performance of our collaborative partners; the timing of initiation and completion of clinical trials and submissions to the FDA or foreign authorities; the volatility and liquidity of the financial markets; our liquidity and capital resources; our expected future revenues, operations and expenditures; and our ability to successfully create a commercial infrastructure in the United States to launch Qnexa, if approved, on our own. As with any pharmaceutical in development, there are significant risks in the development, the regulatory approval, and commercialization of new products. There are no guarantees that our response to the FDA's CRL or CHMP's 180-day list of outstanding issues, the FDA's requests stemming from the end-of-review meeting or the results of FORTRESS and subsequent meetings and communications will be sufficient to satisfy the FDA or CHMP's safety concerns, that the FDA or foreign authorities will not require us to conduct any additional prospective studies or retrospective observational studies, that we will be able to agree with the FDA on the details of the REMS, the cardiovascular outcomes study or the label for Qnexa, or that any product will receive regulatory approval for any indication or prove to be commercially successful. VIVUS does not undertake an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. Investors should read the risk factors set forth in VIVUS' Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2011, and periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

CONTACT: VIVUS, Inc.
         Timothy E. Morris
         Chief Financial Officer
         650-934-5200

         Investor Relations:
         The Trout Group
         Brian Korb
         bkorb@troutgroup.com
         646-378-2923