Diet drug shows staying power

An anti-obesity drug that turns off the same brain circuits that trigger the marijuana-induced munchies appears to produce sustained weight loss among patients who took it in a two-year study.

The report, in the Feb. 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Assn., also said the drug -- Sanofi-Aventis’ Acomplia, or rimonabant -- needed more study for its long-term effects and said the research was limited by a high dropout rate. The study, by New York’s Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, was funded by the drug company.

Rimonabant is awaiting an approval decision by the Food and Drug Administration. However there has been speculation that it could become the world’s first blockbuster anti-obesity medicine, with analysts estimating sales topping $3 billion a year.

The report was based on a study involving more than 3,000 patients that began in 2001 and also involved diet and exercise changes. The basic findings were released at an American Heart Assn. meeting in late 2004.