MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 18, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VIVUS, Inc. (Nasdaq:VVUS) today announced that is has received the formal opinion from the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) following their October 15-18 meeting. As expected, the CHMP recommended against approval of the Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for Qsiva™ (phentermine/topiramate ER) for the treatment of obesity in the European Union. The reasons for their decision were due to concerns over the potential cardiovascular and central nervous system effects associated with long-term use, teratogenic potential and use by patients for whom Qsiva is not indicated. The company currently intends to appeal this opinion and request a re-examination of the decision by the CHMP.