HEALTH

Interneuron Wins Clearance for Obesity Drug: The Lexington, Mass., company won approval from the Food and Drug Administration to market Redux, the first obesity drug approved by the agency in more than 20 years. Trading for Interneuron Pharmaceuticals Inc. shares on Nasdaq was halted just before the announcement, with shares up $3.627 at $37.125. Some analysts predict the drug could reach annual sales of about $200 million in the U.S. in the next few years. Interneuron’s drug, also known as dexfenfluramine, helps dieters lose weight by boosting the level of a chemical in the brain called serotonin, which helps control food cravings. Dexfenfluramine will be marketed as Redux by American Home Products Corp.’s Wyeth Ayerst unit, with Interneuron retaining some manufacturing and promotion rights.