Rimonabant News
Sanofi Weight Drug Shows
A weight-loss drug from Sanofi-Aventis SA failed to slow the progression of coronary-artery disease, according to one measure used in a clinical study, but another measure suggested the drug might be able to slow the disease.
The study involving the drug, known generically as rimonabant, was presented at the American College of Cardiology annual conference and published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Because the measure that used ultrasound to look inside arteries failed to show a decrease in artery-wall thickening from plaque buildup, the study didn't meet its primary goal, said Steven Nissen, head of the Cleveland Clinic's cardiovascular-medicine department.
But a secondary measure that looked at plaque buildup did show an improvement. Dr. Nissen said he couldn't explain the two findings and said more studies are needed to see if rimonabant or similar drugs could reverse coronary-artery hardening.
Sanofi-Aventis sells rimonabant under the brand name Acomplia in Europe and some South American countries. Last year the drug was rejected by a Food and Drug Administration panel over concerns about suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and Sanofi-Aventis pulled the FDA application.