The weight loss drug rimonabant
has been rejected by the FDA amid fears it can increase
suicide risk. The news is putting doctors on edge in
countries where the drug's already widely prescribed
under the name Acomplia.
NO
MORE MUNCHIES
When rimonabant appeared, hopes were sky high (see "Diet
pill hailed as wonder drug," NRM January
30, 2007, Vol 4, No 2). The drug acts as a cannabinoid1
neurotransmitter receptor antagonist and is indicated
for use by people that are obese, at-risk for type II
diabetes, for whom dieting hasn't worked. In trials,
the larger, 20mg form of rimonabant was found to promote
weight loss that's both statistically and clinically
significant, affect HDL and LDL levels favourably, and
reduce HbA1c levels in overweight patients.
DEPRESSING
EFFECTS
Unfortunately the drug has also been found to significantly
increase suicidal ideation in trials. On top of this,
the drug also confers an increased risk of seizures.
If it had been approved, the drug would have been marketed
under a different name, because the FDA considered the
name "Acomplia," to be too suggestive of the word "accomplish."
Rimonabant is not approved for sale in Canada.
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