| Acomplia
rimonabant
Company: Sanofi-Aventis
Acomplia (rimonabant) is an anti-obesity drug. It was approved for marketing in the European Union in June 2006. Rimonabant is not yet approved for use in the United States, where it is known as Zimulti.
What is Acomplia?
* Acomplia (rimonabant) is the first in a new class of therapeutic agents called Cannabinoid-1 Receptor Blockers (CB1).
* Acomplia is used in the treatment of obesity and related conditions.
How does Acomplia work?
* Acomplia acts by selectively blocking CB1 receptors found in the brain and in peripheral organs important in glucose and lipid (or fat) metabolism, including adipose tissue, the liver, gastrointestinal tract and muscle1.
* Acomplia switches off the same brain circuits that make people hungry when they smoke cannabis.
* CB1 receptor blockade with Acomplia acts to decrease the over activity of the endocannabinoid system (EC system)2,3. The EC system is a recently characterized physiological system that includes receptors such as the CB1 receptor and it has been shown to play an important role in regulating body weight and in controlling energy balance, as well as glucose and lipid (or fat) metabolism. | 
