Caution: Weight loss pills!

Fat or dead
The weight loss drug causes mental disorders and leads to suicide.

Irina Vlasova, GZT.RU

This decision was made after the European Medical Agency EMEA published information that taking the drug doubles the risk of mental disorders. This was reported by FP at the end of last week.

The European Medical Agency said that from now on doctors in the EU countries are not recommended to prescribe the anti-obesity drug rimonabant to patients. The results of recent clinical trials have proved that taking this drug almost doubled (compared with placebo) increased the risk of mental disorders in overweight and obese patients. In addition, the drug significantly increases the risk of suicide: in the summer of 2008, five suicides were reported among patients taking rimonabant and one suicide in the placebo group, the statement said. Thus, the agency considered that the risk of taking rimonabant outweighs its benefits.

The principle of operation of rimonabant is based on blocking the receptors of the brain responsible for the occurrence of hunger. The relationship between taking this drug and depression, anxiety and stress disorders has been known before. For this reason, the Food and Drug Administration refused to register the drug in the United States. Nevertheless, in European countries the drug was approved for use in 2006.

Now the drug Acomplia is being withdrawn from all pharmacies in 18 EU countries where the drug was sold, a company representative said. Sanofi-Aventis also does not rule out that Acomplia sales will be suspended in 14 non-EU countries.

Portal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru27.10.2008