Here’s the skinny: France has authorized reimbursement of Sanofi-Aventis’ Acomplia fat pill, but not for all patients and only for part of the cost.

Instead of paying for obese people with associated health risks, such as cardiovascular disease, only obese patients with type 2 diabetes will get coverage, and even then receive only 35 percent of the $95 monthly cost. This greatly limits the number of patients who are eligible for help paying for the drug.

Obviously, this isn’t the best outcome for Sanofi, which repeatedly points to clinical trials showing its fat pill improves ‘good’ cholesterol and fat levels in the blood. And this follows the total rejection two months ago in Germany, where the health ministry declined to reimburse at all. Sanofi plans to challenge the decision.

Of course, any reimbursement is better than none, because that moves Acomplia a little closer to achieving the blockbuster status Sanofi forecast for its pill. The big problem is in the US, where the FDA has twice delayed its review and isn’t expected to weigh in until summer. Given the side effects - depression, nausea - and the new type of mechanism of action that affects the brain, the FDA may offer very limited approval or postpone again.

More reading…
PharmaTimes World News;
The Los Angeles Times: No Magic Bullet For Weight Loss.

[tags]Acomplia, Diet Pills, Sanofi-Aventis[/tags]