The UK’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published final guidance on the use of rimonabant for the treatment of overweight and obese patients.
The guidance recommends:
1. Rimonabant as an addition to diet and exercise for adults who are obese or overweight and who have had an inadequate response to, are intolerant of or are contraindicated to orlistat and sibutramine.
2. Rimonabant treatment should be continued beyond 6 months only if the person has lost at least 5% of their initial body weight since starting rimonabant treatment.
3. Rimonabant treatment should be discontinued if a person returns to their pre-treatment weight.
4. Rimonabant treatment should not be continued for longer than 2 years without a formal clinical assessment and discussion of the individual risks and benefits with the person receiving treatment.
Andrew Dillon, NICE Chief Executive and Executive Lead for the guideline said: “The independent advisory committee recommended rimonabant, along with diet and exercise, as a treatment option for adults who are obese or overweight. This is good news for patients for whom orlistat and sibutramine are not effective.
“Being overweight or obese can lead to a range of serious health problems, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis and some cancers. These
recommendations should be used in conjunction with the NICE guideline ?Obesity: the prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children’ published in December 2006”
Source: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, UK