Rimonabant news
15 February 2007
Rimonabant. CANNABINOID RECEPTOR-BLOCKING Agent Reaching FDA Approval
A new drug with cannabinoid (CB-1) receptor blocking properties is said to have a unique ability to interfere with cravings for food and even for addictive substances like nicotine. In trials, overweight people lost an average of 19 pounds while taking this new diet pill, known as Rimonabant. Rimonabant has been sold in Europe under the brand name Acomplia since 2006. FDA approval in the United States is expected under the brand name Zimulti and is greatly anticipated by many hopeful people who have tried other weight loss remedies with little or no success.
Unlike other diet pills, which may stop being effective after only a few months, Rimonabant seems to have lasting effects. It is thought that the reason for the effectiveness of Rimonabant is the fact that the pills work on a different system in the body than previous diet pills. Dr. Xavier Pi-Sunyer of St. Luke's Roosevelt Medical Center in New York City led an investigation of Rimonabant that followed subjects over a period of two years.
According to Dr. Pi-Sunyer, who is an endocrinologist, "This is a very interesting drug that works in a very different system. It's very promising." Dr. Pi-Sunyear's study found that subjects who were given Rimonabant lost weight and were able to keep it off for two years. The first in a new class of drugs known as CB-1 receptors, Rimonabant is an appetite suppressant that stops chemical messages of hunger from getting through to the brain. The result is not only weight loss but also better regulation of sugar and fat metabolism.
In the study conducted by Dr. Pi-Sunyer, 3,040 subjects from the U.S. and Canada were randomly assigned to groups in which they were given either 5 mg or 20 mg of Rimonabant daily for a year. After a year, the groups were re-assigned at random and given either the same dose of the drug that they had been taking or a placebo. In addition, all subjects were told to reduce their caloric intake by 600 calories per day. After two years, two thirds of the subjects who had been taking the 20 mg dose of Rimonabant throughout the study had lost at least 5% of their initial body weight. One third had lost at least 10% of their initial body weight. The average weight loss among subjects who had taken Rimonabant was 19 pounds. The Rimonabant group also lost an average of 3.1 inches from their waistlines. In contrast, subjects who were given a placebo lost an average of about 5 pounds.
Another promising outcome of clinical trials of Rimonabant pill is that the drug also appears to reduce cravings for nicotine. According to a trial study reported by the North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO), smokers who took Rimonabant were twice as likely to quit. Further, there was no weight gain associated with quitting, which is often a concern for smokers, especially if they are already overweight.
In another study, this one a joint effort of NAASO and the American Diabetes Association, 28% of subjects in a group randomized to receive 20 mg of Rimonabant daily stopped smoking after 10 weeks. The subjects who stopped smoking gained an average of only one pound. This was in contrast to the fact that only 16% of subjects in a placebo group stopped smoking after 10 weeks. Those in the placebo group who did stop smoking gained an average of 6 pounds. Although Rimonabant has not officially been approved for use as a smoking cessation aid, its effects on smoking are quite encouraging.
