About Acomplia SR141716
SR141716, (also known as Rimonabant, Acomplia, Riobant, Slimona, Rimoslim, and Zimulti) is an anorectic anti-obesity drug developed by the French pharma firm Sanofi-Aventis. It has been primarily developed as an aid to weight-loss and works in the reduction in appetite.
Obesity is a health problem of epidemic proportions in the industrialized world. It is associated with an increased risk of life-threatening illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart diseases. The medicinal treatment of obesity has become a necessity for the ameloriation of individual health, along with the preservation of the National Health Service (NHS).Among the numerous options explored in the fight against obesity are the central regulators of food intake.
SR141716, is a CB1 cannabinoid receptor inverse agonist and has been widely used to investigate the role of CB1 receptors in appetite regulation. Weight Loss is just one of the proposed medical uses of cannabinoids. Marijuana use for medicinal purposes is currently being debated on a national level. The cannabis plant has 70 different cannabinoids in it, and each has a different effect on the body. Some can stimulate your appetite, and some, as is the case with SR141716, can suppress your appetite.
SR141716 is the first selective CB1 receptor blocker to be approved for use anywhere in the world. Belgian researchers writing in the Lancet 2005 said people taking rimonabant lost an average of 8.6 kilograms (18.9 pounds) in a year. They also lost an average of 8.5 centimetres (over three inches) from their waists. However, in May 2007, Canadian researchers reported also in the Lancet that the long-term impact of the drugs was not clearly known with side effects including increased blood pressure and pulse rate for sibutramine and mood-related disorders for rimonabant reported.
In the UK, it has been available since the end of July 2006. As of 2007, the drug was available in 38 countries. The approval is in combination with diet and exercise for the treatment of obese patients (BMI greater than or equal to 30), or overweight patients (BMI greater than 27) with associated risk factors, such as type 2 diabetes or dyslipidaemia.
The EU's approval was not a blanket approval, nor did it approve SR141716 for non-obesity related problems such as smoking cessation, although SR141746 may also be found to be effective in assisting some smokers to quit smoking. Sanofi-Aventis is currently conducting studies to determine whether or not SR141716 could prove useful in smoking-cessation therapy.
External Links
http://en.sanofi-aventis.com/events/event1/en/index.asp - Drug Info about Acomplia from pharmaceutical producers Sanofi-Aventis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rimonabant - More info and links about Rimonabant on Wikipedia
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4445951.stm - Further reading about Acomplia from BBC Health
"http://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/ - New scientist article - Cannabis-inspired diet pill
"http://www.firstmed.co.uk/weight-loss.php - Online clinic offering online consultations with a GMC-registered doctor and a prescription for Acomplia