Arena reported $1.3 million in Belviq net product sales in the second quarter, which is 31.5% of the $4.1 million in net product sales recorded by Eisai.
Belviq hit pharmacy shelves in the beginning of June, so it’s only about a month of sales in the second quarter. Still, $4.1 million in net product sales is light, especially considering that number includes inventory stocking.
Belviq’s reported net sales underwhelmed, in part, because Eisai is giving away tons of free samples–an estimated 60-70% of all Belviq prescriptions filled are gratis. Separately, Eisai reported $10 million in gross sales of Belviq, which means the gross-to-net discount was a huge 60%.