Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

Sanofi Says Weight Loss Drug Effective

[Wow! What else is there to say about results like these?]

http://tinyurl.com/3oq7u

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NEW ORLEANS November 9 (Reuters) - 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 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.

Nearly 33 percent of patients treated with 20 milligrams of Acomplia over the full two years lost in excess of 10 percent of their initial body weight, compared with 16.4 percent of patients on a placebo. More than 62 percent of 20 mg Acomplia patients shed at least 5 percent of body weight.

Waist circumference at two years was reduced by 3.1 inches (8 cm) in the 20 mg Acomplia group, by 1.9 inches (4.9 cm) in a 5 mg Acomplia group, and by just 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) in the placebo group.

Across all measures, Acomplia at 20 mg was more effective than the lower dose and significantly better than placebo.
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