Rimonabant (SR141716) is an anorectic anti-obesity drug . It is a CB1 cannabinoid receptor antagonist. Its main avenue of effect is reduction in appetite. Once approved, rimonabant may be sold by Sanofi-Aventis under the trade names Acomplia or Zimulti.
Metabolic Disorders
In addition to reducing appetite, and thus being effective in weight control, rimonabant appears to be effective against certain metabolic disorders and associated cardiovascular risk factors
Smoking Cessation
Rimonabant may also be found to effective in assisting some smokers to quit smoking. Sanofi-Aventis is currently conducting studies to determine the possible value of rimonabant in smoking-cessation therapy. The Studies with Rimonabant and Tobacco Use (STRATUS) Program involves more than 6,000 subjects. STRATUS is designed to explore two smoking-related therapies. First, to use rimonabant directly to aid in smoking cessation. Second, to help prevent weight gain in former smokers. Initial results apparently suggest that rimonabant is effective for both uses. However, the FDA has explicitly stated to Sanofi-Aventis that without additional studies rimonabant cannot be approved in the United States for smoking cessation therapy.