Rimonabant in Long Term Weight Loss
Safety in long-term use
Efficience and safety in long-term use is important
feature of any antiobesity drug. Some antiobesity
medications have proved effective in the first six
months of treatment only but later loose effectiveness
as subjects develop resistance to the treatment.
Rimonabant is effective in taking off weight and
keeping it off for at least 3 years, a result not
shared by other diet medications. The three major
weight loss drugs act in very different ways: Meridia
targets specific chemicals in the brain to reduce
appetite, while Xenical helps prevent the absorption
of fats from the foods users eat. Acomplia targets
what is thought to be the brain's pleasure center
to reduce food cravings.
The study of Acomplia included 3000 obese men and
women who, at the beginning of the study, recorded
an average waist size of 40 inches and 35 inches,
respectively. Patients were treated with either 5
mg of Acomplia, 20 mg of Acomplia, or a placebo for
2 years. After 2 years, the 20-mg group had an average
weight loss of 19 lbs and the average reduction in
waist size was over 3 inches. Two-thirds of the patients
in this 20-mg group lost more than 5% of their body
weight and more than one third lost more than 10%
of their weight.
Data from the RIO trials suggest rimonabant as effective
for maintaining weight loss for periods of at least
two years.
Long-Term Safety of Acomplia
Long-term safety is also a major concern of users.
In the USA, the FDA generally requires two years of
safety data before approving antiobesity drugs.
Results from the phase III RIO trial programme suggested
that rimonabant is well tolerated in long-term use.
Among patients who were randomly assigned to continue
their first-year treatment for a second year, 6.7%,
8.3% and 6.0% discontinued from the placebo, rimonabant
5mg and 20mg groups respectively.
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