Vivus has launched a new iPhone and mobile app to help support patients looking to lose weight.

The free Q and Me app is available for iPhones and Android devices and ties in with the company's similarly named patient support programme.

Vivus' obesity drug Qsymia (phentermine/topiramate) was approved by the FDA last July, making it the second such drug to be given the green light by the US regulator after the approval a month earlier of Arena Pharmaceutical/Eisai's Belviq (lorcaserin).

The approvals marked the end of a 13-year drought in new weight-loss drugs in the US giving Qsymia and Belviq an almost clear run at therapy area as most other drug treatments have been withdrawn from the market in recent years.

California-based Vivus says its new app will encourage lifestyle skills to aid lasting weight loss by giving users easy access to tools such as a food log, activity log and BMI Calculator.

Meanwhile the Q and Me Patient Support Program aims to help patients incorporate proper nutrition and physical activity into everyday life.

"Vivus is committed to supporting healthcare providers and patients in their treatment of obesity," said Michael Miller, senior vice president and chief commercial officer of Vivus.

"The Q and Me app can help make the weight loss journey more manageable by empowering people to make changes that may lead to meaningful weight loss."

The app's launch has echoes of Pfizer's bid last year to bolster its ageing blockbuster cholesterol drug Lipitor with a mobile recipe app. The Recipes 2 Go app was launched for iPhone, iPad and Android mobile devices and offered a series of healthy recipes, a shopping list feature and tips on portion sizes and exercise.

The app is available on ITunes at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/q-and-me-support/id597725796?mt=8

The app is available from the Google store at: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Cadient.QMobile&feature

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