An anti-obesity drug that helps reduce body weight by up to 10 per cent and tackle other weight-related health problems, like diabetes, and even smoking, has been launched in Britain.
The drug, Rimonabant, also known as Acomplia, is the first to target a natural body system governing factors like appetite, weight, metabolism and energy use. It also has the capacity to control a smoker's craving for nicotine.
Britain is the first country in the EU to receive the drug, manufactured by French pharmaceutical major Sanofi-Aventis, following a decision by the country's drug regulators to grant it a licence. It is, however, yet to receive the approval of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and as such there may not be widespread prescription.
According to health experts, nearly 20 per cent of Britain's population could do well with the drug, which costs 55.20 pounds per patient per month.
Sanofi-Aventis, which pins high hopes on the drug, says the cost of treatment using the drug is economical compared to the 7 billion pounds set aside to tackling problems related with obesity.
The company may have to obtain individual permissions now from various governments of EU for the drug to be accepted as part of the national health services. It hopes to launch it before the year-end in Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Finland and Norway.
The U.S. FDA has sought more information on the product before it could approve the drug. The company hopes to launch the product in the U.S. markets too by the end of the year.
During trials covering 6,000 patients in the U.S. and Europe, a quarter had lost more than 10 per cent of their initial body weight after a year. About half lost more than 50 per cent. It was also found to have impact on glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels of patients.
Acomplia is a prescription drug.
Source:-http://www.earthtimes.org/
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