An experimental Sanofi-Aventis diet drug helped people lose much more weight than a placebo in an eagerly anticipated two-year trial, researchers said on Tuesday. The pivotal late-stage study presented at the American Heart Association annual scientific meeting showed patients who took the anti-obesity drug Acomplia, or rimonabant, shed pounds and abdominal fat after one year and kept it off after two years.
Abdominal fat is considered an important potential indicator of cardiovascular risk. Patients taking the Sanofi drug over two years significantly improved their levels of HDL, the so-called good cholesterol, lowered triglycerides and had better insulin sensitivity, researchers said.
The results of the 3,040-patient North American study added to the growing body of positive evidence on the drug following previously presented one-year data from Europe and greatly enhanced the French drugmaker's chances of winning regulatory approval.
Analysts expect Acomplia to be a multibillion-dollar growth driver for the French company, with at least one predicting peak sales of $6 billion a year.