Sanofi-Aventis receives Swiss approval for Acomplia

French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi-Aventis has confirmed that its treatment for overweight and obese patients has been approved in Switzerland.

Swissmedic has agreed that the therapy Acomplia (rimonabant) can be used by healthcare professionals in the country for treating obese people who are at risk of developing cardiovascular illnesses.

Approval was given as a result of phase III clinical trials, which revealed that a daily dose of the drug dramatically reduces the weight of patients in addition to waist circumference measurements and significantly improves levels of high-density lipoproteins.

The therapy has been developed to be administered alongside other conventional treatments for obese and overweight people, such as increased physical activity and a light hypocaloric diet.

Acomplia is part of a new category of remedies known as CB1 receptor antagonists and is designed to improve the health of people with a body mass index equal to or greater than 27 kg/m2.

Forming the focus of research conducted by staff at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, hypocaloric diets can lead to weight loss of up to 2.5 kg within a 12-week period.

Authored by R H Demling and L DeSanti, the study revealed that similar results were achieved among overweight volunteers on a hypocaloric regime as well as resistance exercise programme.