Weight loss drug Rimonabant, sold under the brand name Acomplia, might not be as effective as it claims to be but can help overweight people lose 'modest' amount of weight, a Brazilian study has found. The drug, however, is yet to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Under the study, which reviewed four controlled trials of the drug, researchers from State University of Rio de Janeiro took into consideration the effect of Acomplia on around 6,625 adult participants who fell in the overweight or obese category. Of the four studies, one concentrated on type 2 diabetics and another on those who were vulnerable to heart disease. The studies spanned a maximum of two years and checked the efficacy of the pill against placebos. “The use of Rimonabant after one year produces modest weight loss of approximately 5 per cent (of body weight). Compared with placebo, a 20-mg (highest dose) pill produced a 4.9 kg greater reduction in body weight in trials with one-year results,” the researchers said in a report published in The Cochrane Library.
In the studies, the participants were made to follow moderate low-calorie diets. On an average, patients lost up to 11 pounds and 1.5 inches from their waist if they were administered the highest dose of Acomplia. There were other benefits for those vulnerable to heart disease as well. The level of blood pressure in those with high blood pressure fell marginally, even as blood lipids fell and the level of HDL or good cholesterol went up. “After the 36th week, the level of weight loss decreased and the body weight was maintained practically until the end of the studies,” the researchers wrote. However, discontinuing the drug meant gaining back all the lost weight. “Patients who stayed on 20-mg Rimonabant seemed to maintain their weight loss, while those who were re-randomized to placebo gained significant weight,” the authors noted. Also, the highest dose came with side effects, some being headaches and joint pains, nausea, dizziness, and diarrhea. In some cases, serious complications like nervous system disorders were also noted.
Rimonabant works by blocking certain receptors in the brain that are linked to addiction to foods, alcohol and tobacco. Research into how effective the drug is in preventing tobacco and alcohol addiction is currently underway.
Even though Acomplia posted a modest weight loss, it was found to be more effective than Orlistat, sold as Xenical, and Silbutramine, sold as Meridia, the other two FDA-approved drugs to treat obesity as a clinical problem. “The weight loss associated with Rimonabant was slightly greater compared to that related to Silbutramine use, with more positive impact on cardio-metabolic risk. The effects compared with Orlistat appear to be greater weight loss and less frequent adverse effects,” the researchers revealed.
The results are not exactly spectacular. But even if they were, it might not be feasible to use the drug for mass treatment of obesity, which is fast becoming the greatest health problem in the world. “The fundamental problem is that even if one of these drugs caused significant weight loss, the cost would be so prohibitive that it wouldn't be worthwhile on a public health basis. And only a few people would be able to afford them,” said Kelly Brownell, the director of Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.
