With sales of Acomplia (rimonabant) is low in the several dozen countries where it is on the market, Sanofi-Aventis executives had little to say about their pioneering obesity treatment in a report to analysts on Feb. . But that hardly means they have given up on the CB-1 receptor antagonist.

Instead, Sanofi unveiled plans to make at least three presentations at major U.S. and European medical meetings during 2008 on the results of clinical trials of Acomplia as a treatment for heart disease and diabetes.

And as a strong indication that the results Sanofi Aventis is seeing from the diabetes trials continue to look really good, the French company reiterated that it plans to seek for FDA approval of rimonabant (to be called Zimulti in the United States), this time for treatment of diabetes, in 2009.
So where do things stand on the hopes of millions of obese and overweight people that rimonabant would become the next blockbuster pill for treatment of obesity?
Well, Sanofi reported that fourth quarter sales of Acomplia worldwide totaled 21 million Euros (approximately US $30.6 million) — unchanged from the 21 million Euros in sales that Sanofi reported for the third quarter of 2007.

He said results of the ARPEGGIO study, evaluating rimonabant in combination with insulin for treatment of diabetes, will be presented to the American Diabetes Association at its annual meeting in June 2008.

Cluzel also said Sanofi is awaiting further recommendations from the FDA on the tracking during clinical trials of depressive side-effects associated with rimonabant — the problem that led in mid-2007 to Sanofi’s withdrawal of its application to have Zimulti approved for sale as an obesity drug in the U.S.

“As for side effects, we are in conformity with FDA recommendations particularly when it comes to psychiatric effects, suicidal ideas are very much in the limelight, and of course, this applies for the whole class of CB1s as well as for antiepileptic pills and antidepressives as a class,” Cluzel declared.

“So we are waiting to see what the FDA recommendations will be,” he also said.

So Acomplia will be on the american market sooner or later as an weight loss pill or as a pill that treats diabetes.Will hope that happens really soon because millions of people need it!