Sanofi-Aventis announce the launch of Acomplia in the UAE

The drug has received approval from the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA) to be used in combination with diet and exercise for the treatment of abdominal obesity with cardio metabolic risk cluster, and is already sold in over 12 European countries, including Germany and the UK.

In the Middle East the prevalence of obesity increases from an average of 6% in healthy children to 20% in adolescent males and to a further 32% in elderly patients. Recent results from the IDEA (International Day for the Evaluation of Abdominal Obesity) survey, a 63 country study, including the UAE has shown that 37% of the UAE population is obese (using waist circumference measurement). Previously, most obesity experts considered that total body fat - as estimated by the body mass index (BMI) - was the main predicator of weight-related disease, now it is understood that location of body fat is equally if not more significant. To be specific, excessive body fat stored around the stomach and abdomen (abdominal obesity) is believed to be a better predictor of weight related diseases such as diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.

According to Dr. Matthias Blüher, Professor of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, 'Obesity and diabetes have reached epidemic proportions worldwide. The UAE is now ranked second in the world for diabetes, which is largely caused by abdominal obesity. This new drug when used in conjunction with lifestyle modifications offers an important breakthrough in the fight against abdominal obesity and its associated risk factors such as type 2 diabetes.'

The new abdominal obesity drug can significantly improve blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes while also helping them reduce their weight. Acomplia works by selectively blocking receptors found in the brain and in peripheral organs important in glucose and lipid metabolism, including adipose tissue, the liver, gastrointestinal tract and muscle. The drug acts to decrease the over activity of the endocannabinoid system (EC system). The EC system is a recently characterized physiological system that includes receptors such as the CB¹ receptor, and it is believed to play an important role in regulating body weight and in controlling energy balance, as well as glucose and lipid metabolism.

According to Dr Wael ALMAHMEED, Vice President of Emirates Cardiac Society, 'Among people who are overweight or obese, it is those with excess fat around their abdomen who are at the greatest risk of developing an abnormal lipid profile, type 2 diabetes and ultimately heart disease. Rimonabant is an important advance in the treatment of cardio-metabolic risk factors which contribute to the global risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.'

The launch will also feature an evening symposium for UAE doctors on the risks of abdominal obesity. This is being run in conjunction with the 'Your Health Matters' awareness campaign which is being run in association with the World Health Organization, the Gulf Heart Association and the Emirates Cardiac Society.