News »March 2007

Diet Pill Acomplia will be best Seller, says DRI

March 20, 2007

Diet pill Acomplia (rimonabant), which still awaits FDA's approval for sale in the US markets, has already been hailed by the Decision Resources, Inc (DRI) as the drug that could easily replace Xenical from the top slot.

DRI, the firm that did the study, said its findings were based on a survey of more than 3,000 endocrinologists with years of practice as well as on its own analysis and comparisons of the key clinical attributes of the current and emerging obesity treatments.

It was also found that apart from greater weight reduction and cardiovascular benefits, diet pill Acomplia even helps in maintaining weight for longer period and substantially reduces waist circumference.

Decision Resources said it based its findings on a survey of more than 3,000 endocrinologists with large practices as well as on its own analysis and comparisons of the key clinical attributes of current and emerging obesity therapies.

Nancy Li, research analyst, Decision Resources, confirming the side effects of Acomplia said this diet drug doesn't upset the GI side effects, which is good and its here that it scores a point over Xenical.

The firm also came up with some findings that there are few other diet drugs already in or moving into phase III trails that may give a stiff competition to Acomplia in near future.

Acomplia can relax that it will not have any competition from the other two CB-1 receptor antagonists that are being developed by Merck and Pfizer and are in phase III trials. Competition is only possible from these drugs, if they are found more effective than Acomplia in weight shedding or have lesser side effects.

The drugs that may give competition to Acomplia are Arena Pharmaceutical's Lorcaserin (APD356) and Alizyme's Cetilistat (ATL-962).

Lorcaserin stimulates the 5-HT2C serotonin receptor, located in the hypothalamus that helps in regulating fullness and affects the metabolic rate.

While the other diet drug that may give tough competition to Acomplia is Cetilistat. It is a gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor that blocks fat digestion and thus absorption.

According to the report, Lorcaserin will be out in the market by 2009 and could do the business of $250 to $500 million while Cetilistat will be available by 2010 and will not match Lorcaserin in business.