Update: Miracle diet drug—more setbacks

Things aren’t looking good for the “miracle weight loss pill” being promoted by Sanofi-Aventis. As disclosed here at Junkfood Science, its safety and effectiveness shown in the research and clinical trials is considerably different from the heavily-marketed claims. In December, FDA made a surprising move and put Acomplia on a slow track to defer its decision for approval until June.

The latest news is that any decision on approval has been delayed again until at least the end of July. Sanofi’s Marc Cluzal, vice president for science and medical affairs, revealed yesterday that the delay is because the FDA is looking at the efficacy.

According to Acomplia Report, “Sanofi failed in both Germany and France to get approval for state reimbursement of Acomplia when it is used strictly for weight loss.” The company now appears to be seeking approval for it as a drug for type 2 diabetes.