Possible Reason for Rimonabant's Side Effects Discovered

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"They're all these other drugs that are supposed to target peripheral pain, and there hasn't been a lot of attention paid to whether they cross into the brain, Kauer said. That's something that needs to be paid attention to, because now we're showing that these drugs are depressing brain synapses," she said.

One expert thinks the study may have identified the reason for mood disorders associated with Acomplia, but it doesn't speak to the issue of whether the drug's benefits outweigh the risks.

"This is an interesting study which is important in potential mechanisms that could explain the higher incidence of mood disorders associated with rimonabant use," said Dr. Raj Padwal, an assistant professor of general internal medicine at the University of Alberta in Canada.

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However, Padwal, who has studied the risks and benefits of weight-loss drugs, thinks there are still questions about whether the drug causes mood disorders or not.

"If it does cause mood disorders, what is the increased risk? Does the increased risk of mood disorders then outweigh the potential benefits of the drug such that the drug should not be approved?" Padwal asked.

This study is nice in elucidating potential mechanisms but not really helpful in teasing out whether the drug should be approved, Padwal said. "For approval, I'm sure the FDA is looking for post-marketing surveillance data from Europe and other countries of the world in which the drug is being used," he added.

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