Weight Loss News

Is the Indian version of Rimonabant similar to Acomplia

1 June 2007

Many Indian pharmaceutical firms are selling weight loss drug called Rimonabant in India, but the big question here is? Does the Indian Rimonabant works the same way its original weight loss drug called Acomplia works?

This is one big question that many buyers face when they think of buying this generic version of the branded drug Acomplia. A generic version of a branded drug only comes in the market when the patent right for that branded drug expires. And once the generic version is ready, they are monitored by the U.S. and European regulators who see whether the generic version and the branded drug are bioequivalent or not.

However, Rimonabant's, which is manufactured by Sanofi-Aventis, patent right has still many years before it is expired. Despite that, many Indian pharmaceutical firms are of the view that Sanofi's patent right doesn't not apply to India and have come up with drugs that are sold as Rimonabant in the Indian market.

Considering the time for which the details about the Rimonabant were available, there are very few who will question the competency of Indian pharma firms to develop a copy of the Rimonabant salt.

Developing the same copy is fine, but still the question persists that are these Indian generic version drugs as effective in weight loss as branded drug Acomplia?

Sanofi during the development stage had identified two different polymorphic forms of Rimonabant -- polymorphic form 1 and polymorphic form 2 identified, which was identified after the start of the Phase III studies.

As of now, no information has been furnished by any Indian pharmaceutical firm selling Rimonabant as to how their active ingredient is synthesized or details about the type of polymorphic used in it.