Acomplia (Rimonabant) in Long Term Weight Loss
Acomplia® is registered name by Sanofi Aventis.
Efficacy and safety in long-term use is important feature of
any antiobesity drug. Some potential antiobesity medications have
proved effective in the first six months of treatment only to
lose effectiveness as subjects develop resistance to treatment.
Rimonabant has proven effective in taking off weight and keeping
it off for at least 3 years, a result not shared by other diet
medications. The three major weight loss drugs act in very different
ways: Meridia targets specific chemicals in the brain to reduce
appetite, while Xenical helps prevent the absorption of fats from
the foods users eat. Acomplia targets what is thought to be the
brain's pleasure center to reduce food cravings.
The study of Acomplia is the largest to date, including 3000
obese men and women who, at the start of the study, recorded an
average waist size of 40 inches and 35 inches, respectively. Patients
were treated with either 5 mg of Acomplia, 20 mg of Acomplia,
or a placebo for 2 years. After 2 years, the 20-mg group had an
average weight loss of 19 lbs and the average reduction in waist
size was over 3 inches. Two-thirds of the patients in this 20-mg
group lost more than 5% of their body weight and more than one
third lost more than 10% of their weight.
Data from the RIO trials suggest rimonabant is effective for
maintaining weight loss for periods of at least two years.
Long-Term Safety of Acomplia
Long-term safety is also a major concern. In the US, the FDA
generally requires two years of safety data before approving antiobesity
drugs.
Results from the phase III RIO trial programme suggest rimonabant
is well tolerated in long-term use. Among patients who were randomly
assigned to continue their first-year treatment for a second year,
6.7%, 8.3% and 6.0% discontinued from the placebo, rimonabant
5mg and 20mg groups respectively.
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