Sanofi-Aventis had launched its solution to obesity two years ago. But is killing patients really a solution? Finally, one of these useless killer drugs gets taken off the shelves.

Acomplia, also known as rimonabant, was licensed for obese and overweight patients in conjunction with type 2 diabetes and cholesterol problems. At its launch, it was already known to double psychiatric problems. After seven deaths including a suicide, authorities have at last reacted with a stop to further sales. But where relatively harmless cigarettes must have a health warning printed on the package, pharmaceutical drugs are still sold with the euphemistic text on side effects, in small print.

Almost 100,000 people had been using the drug in what now must be termed a mass testing of the product. Instead of making the company launching the product do the relevant primary tests on their money, the public is now used as testing material. The tax payer will foot the bill of the company’s gains, again. Officially, the drug’s risk of side effects is said to ‘now’ outweigh its benefits. But that was known when it was launched. Why then was it admitted in the first place?

The experience gained in using the drug differed widely from the clinical tests Sanofi-Aventis had presented when going for approval. Psychiatric disorders were the rule, not the exception. This doesn’t really surprise anybody. It is a fact that pharmaceutical companies run hundreds of tests before going for approval of a product. We applaud them for that. Unhappily, they only publish the eight tests that show the claimed benefits of the product in question. It would be of far more interest to read the hundreds of suppressed test evidences showing the drug not working at all or doing harm or most probably both.

There are two substitute products for Acomplia on the market, sibutramine and orlistat. In all probability, these two are as poisonous as rimonabant. Governments worldwide have criminally neglected to effectively check on the pharmaceutical industry. It should be obvious that all research must be published, not only favourable findings. As this is simply common sense, so far there is no law stating the obvious. But when dealing with crooks, common sense must be made law to nail them down.

A further finding of these past two years showed that the drug did not work effectively. This, too, is no surprise. Though in part, it is a surprise, as normally pharmaceutical products do not work at all. But the side effects are most efficient in all of them and bring millions into the pockets of the pharmaceutical industry. In a way then, the drug is working. It makes people take more drugs to push up turn-over figures. But somehow, the word addiction is never used by official sources. One wonders why.

The drug should have prevented food cravings and fat from being deposited. Instead it provoked depression, anxiety, irritability, nervousness, sleep disorders, and suicidal thoughts. Quite impressive accomplishments, I must admit. Maybe somebody could invent a pill that makes people use the stairs instead of the elevator? Most of these patients would never have become fat or obese if they would just have kept moving, instead of only consuming.

We finally get rid of one killer drug at least. But it is just one product of hundreds currently on the market.