Generic Acomplia - Rimonabant

 
Rimonabant 20mg (Generic Acomplia)

 

Acomplia (rimonabant) has been approved in the European Union and is available in 7 countries there for weight loss. It has also been shown in studies to assist with cession of smoking cigarettes and marijuana. In addition, further studies are being done for approval in treating diabetes by helping to control blood sugar, lowering overall cholesterol and increasing beneficial cholesterol. Currently Acomplia is under review for approval within the USA and is expected to be approved in the next 2-6 months. Whilst during clinical studies the drug clearly demonstrated a reduced craving for nicotine in patients the drug has only at the moment been approved as an obesity treatment. As this is a prescription medication we strongly advise that you seek to have a face to face consultation with your doctor in the first instance. Our service should not be interpreted as being a replacement to the treatment advice your doctor can provide.

Acomplia (rimonabant)

Acomplia is a weight control drug released for sale on prescription in the UK on 21st June 2006. It is available in 20mg tablets following a doctor reviewed OnlineClinic consultation.

How does Acomplia work?

Acomplia works on the so called endocannabinoid system, which is a system in the brain that affects energy balance, glucose and lipid metabolism and body weight. The result is that patients will experience the feeling of being full easier thus wanting to eat less than normally. This has been proven to significantly help obese patients achieve a weight loss if used in conjunction with a calorie reduced diet and exercise.

How much weight can be lost on Acomplia?

Acomplia has undergone placebo-controlled studies involving a total of more then 6800 patients and the results were significant. The patients in phase 3 trials followed a diet prescribed by a dietician and they were advised to increase physical activity.

After one year of taking Acomplia 20mg once daily a mean weight loss of 6.5kg were found compared to 1.6kg for placebo. Most of the weight loss achieved with Acomplia was obtained in the first 9 months of treatment.

Acomplia also reduced the risk of weight regain. A group of patients on Acomplia 20mg were re-randomized to Acomplia 20mg or Placebo after one year. The patients who continued on Acomplia 20mg achieved a total weight loss of 7.5kg over two years. The Patients who were transferred to placebo had a total weight loss of 3.1kg over the two years.

Patients treated with Acomplia also showed a significant reduction in waist circumference which is known to be an indication of intra-abdominal fat. The waist circumference, seen by experts as a more important measurement than the BMI, was reduced by 6-7cm.

Undesirable effects

Acomplia has been studied in approximately 2500 patients who suffered from obesity or overweight to study any side effects. The studies showed that 15.7% experienced side effects the most common being nausea, mood alteration with depressive symptoms, depressive disorders, anxiety and dizziness. Depressive disorders were reported in 3.2% of patients and were usually mild or moderate in severity.

The following table shows all the adverse reactions from the four placebo-controlled clinical studies.

System Organ Class Very common (>10%) Common (>1, <10%) Uncommon (>0.1, <1%) Rare (>0.01, <0.1%)
Infections and infestations Upper respiratory tract infection Gastroenteritis - -
Psychiatric disorders - Depressive disorders, Mood alterations with depressive symptoms, Anxiety, Irritability, Nervousness, Sleep disorders, Insomnia, Parasomnias Panic symptoms, Anger, Dysphoria, Emotional disorder Hallucinations
Nervous system disorders - Memory loss Dizziness, Hypoaesthesia Sciatica Lethargy -
Vascular disorders - Hot flush - -
Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders - - Hiccups -
Gastrointestinal disorders Nausea Diarrhoea, Vomiting - -
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders - Pruritus, Hyperhidrosis Night sweats -
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders - Tendonitis, Muscle cramp, Muscle spasms - -
General disorders - Asthenia/fatigue Influenza - -
Injury, Poisoning and procedural complications - Fall, Contusion, Joint sprain - -
Contraindications

Acomplia should be used with caution in patients with the following conditions:

  • Moderate renal impairment
  • Aged over 75 years
  • Patients with epilepsy
  • Patients using potent CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g. ketoconazole, itraconazole, ritonavir, telithromycin, clarithromycin, nefazodone)
  • Rare hereditary problems of galactose intolerance

Acomplia should not be used in patients with the following conditions:

  • Severe renal impairment
  • In patients with uncontrolled serious psychiatric illness such as a major depression.
  • Patients who had a cardiovascular event (myocardial infarction, stroke, etc.) less than 6 months ago
  • Patients who are breastfeeding
  • Patients who are pregnant
Indications for use

Acomplia is only licensed for weight control in patients with a BMI (Body Mass Index) above 30 or Patients with a BMI above 27 with associated risk factor(s), such as type 2 diabetes or dyslipidaemia.

Patients should take one 20mg tablet every morning with breakfast.

More information

If you wish to read more about Acomplia, including detailed information on contraindications and side effects, please click here.

Rimonabant 20mg (Generic Acomplia)