When a promising new prescription anti-obesity drug, rimonabant, was launched in 2006 in the U.K., Germany and subsequently 40 other countries, the most anticipated weight-loss medication since Fen-phen generated a great deal of excitement.

It was widely assumed that the drug, marketed in Europe as Acomplia, would ultimately become available in the United States as Zimulti even though an FDA advisory panel voted against sale of rimonabant in summer 2007 out of concern over its depressive side effects.

But in October 2008, the European Medicines Agency said Acomplia should be withdrawn from the market because of its link to mental disorders, and developer Sanofi-Aventis on Nov. 5 pulled the plug on further development of this drug.

The Zimulti Acomplia Report, updated daily, will track the aftermath, and efforts to develop other diet drugs.