Anti-obesity drug claims disputed

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Rimonabant (brand name Acomplia) has been described as the "new wonder slimming drug", with trials showing it helps obese people shed excess pounds.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) is currently appraising the drug for use on the NHS.

But experts writing in the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB), from the British Medical Journal (BMJ), questioned claims by the manufacturer, Sanofi-Aventis.

They said there was no proof that the drug had any beneficial effects outside those expected by weight loss.

According to the Sanofi-Aventis website, the drug "has a beneficial effect on blood glucose and lipid levels - a more beneficial effect than would be expected from weight loss alone".

Advertisements for the drug have suggested that half of the drug's effects on cardiometabolic risk factors are beyond those expected by weight loss alone.

Cardiometabolic risk relates to factors that can be combined to heighten a person's chance of developing heart disease and/or type 2 diabetes.

Such factors include obesity, "bad" cholesterol, fat levels in the blood, high blood pressure and insulin resistance.

The DTB researchers also said the drug had not been effectively compared with other, cheaper drugs for weight loss. They cited Xenical (orlistat) and Reductil (sibutramine), which cost less and are approved for use on the NHS.