Diet Pill, Rimonabant, Can Increase Thoughts of Suicide

A diet pill that helps obese people slim down is being questioned today for fear that it may cause a person to have dangerous suicidal thoughts, reports the Telegraph.

The diet pill, that goes by the name, Acomplia in the UK is new to the market, having only been approved for use last year in Europe. The drug is also called Rimonabant. This is a diet pill that really seemed to work. Testing found that many people could be helped significantly, by losing up to 10 percent of their total body weight while taking the pill.

At the moment it is thought that around 37,000 people in the UK take the diet pill, Acomplia. However there are now growing concerns that this diet pill is putting people at risk of suicide and other mental issues.

In the UK the diet pill is mainly given to people who's obesity is putting them at high risk of heat problems and developing diabetes. When a patient takes the pill it affects a part of their brain that deals with food by blocking receptors, lessening a person's appetite.

The diet pill just went before a committee in the US to decide whether they should recommend that the US Food and Drug Administration approve the pill for use in the United States. However, the advisory committee was not quick to fall for the wonderful results in weight loss that come by taking the pill. In fact, the committee has decided that Rimonabant should be banned, as its manufacturer, Sanofi-Aventis, was unable to show that the pill was safe to take.

Before making their decision the advisory committee too time to investigate various studies that had been carried out with Rimonabant. The finds of the committee showed that use of Rimonabant could be linked to thoughts of suicide even in patients that had no known history of depression.

Suicidal tendencies weren't the only negative side effect of the diet pill that the committee uncovered. They also found that Rimonabant could greatly increase anxiety, sleep problems and even cause panic attacks.

According to the BBC the advisory committee said, "The evidence for increased suicidal tendencies and depression is of particular concern for a drug targeted toward the obese, a population that has been shown to have a significantly higher incidence of depression and eating disorder compared to non-obese individuals."

The final decision regarding the use of Rimonabant in the US is yet to be made. This decision will occur in July when the FDA reviews the drug as well as the committee's suggestions.

According to the BBC the manufactured, Sanofi-Aventis is working with the FDA to try and look further into what the committee has said.

Speaking with the BBC on behalf of a UK charity called Weight Concern was Dr. Ian Campbell. Campbell said that there could be some increase in depression and anxiety but the risk of suicide was very small. He is quoted by the BBC saying, "You have to balance the risk with the advantages of quality of life improvement. Rimonabant has a role, it should be used with care but directed towards the right patient it can be effective and safe."

Sources
London Telegraph
Slimming pill 'linked to thoughts of suicide'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/06/15/nobese215.xml

BBC
US diet pill 'suicide risk' fears
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6755665.stm