The investigational drug rimonabant has churned up a lot of excitement thanks to its success so far in producing weight loss and smoking cessation during several clinical trials. (Click hereto read about prior trials with rimonabant, and about the excitement this investigational drug has created even among doctors.) In the 2005 annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association, investigators reported on the results of yet another rimonabant trial - RIO-Diabetes.
In this trial, 1045 individuals with type 2 diabetes were randomized to receive either 5 mg of rimonabant, 20 mg of rimonabant, or placebo. All patients were on non-insulin diabetic therapy (metformin or a sulfonylurea drug). After 1 year, the group taking the higher dose of rimonabant had significant reductions in weight and waist circumference. They also had significantly reduced hemoglobin A1C levels, a finding that reflects improved glucose control. Finally, they had significantly improved HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and reduced systolic blood pressure.
These results of RIO-Diabetes appear similar to the results reported in earlier trials with rimonabant - but for the first time the effect of this drug now has been documented in patients with diabetes, a group typically particularly resistant to weight loss.
Rimonabant remains an investigational drug, but should be evaluated by the FDA within the next year.
