Rimonabant (Acomplia) Controversy

Rimonabant—also known as SR141716A, Acomplia, and Zimulti—is a cannabinoid receptor antagonist that is used extensively in research and was briefly marketed as an antiobesity medication. It was available by prescription in parts of the European Union from 2006 to 2008. Further research indicated that it was associated with adverse psychiatric effects, such as depression and anxiety, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended against approval in 2007. It has since been removed from the European market and is no longer legally available as a prescription medication.

The Endocannabinoid System and Appetite

The primary psychoactive constituent of cannabis products such as marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). In the 1990s, researchers distinguished two receptors for THC in the nervous system: the CB1 receptor, which is primarily found in ...

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