The magazine Med Ad News, in an article on "future blockbuster drugs," has named Acomplia its "Product to Watch for 2005" and said experts feel it has the potential to become the pharmaceutical industry's once-in-a-decade blockbuster. Below are excerpts from its report:

Acomplia’s potential resides in its promising therapeutic profile in two vast and highly underserved markets: obesity management and smoking cessation.

Acomplia has been publicized in major newspaper, radio, and TV outlets worldwide during the past few months. Excellent confirmation of efficacy and safety has made the market more confident in the drug.

Acomplia is the first in a class of cannabinoid type 1 receptor antagonists that, if proven safe and effective in ongoing clinical studies, may offer a way for obese patients to lose weight and reduce their risk for developing cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes.

The data thus far suggest that CB1 receptor antagonists may be safer than previous antiobesity agents, some of which have been associated with significant side effects and were withdrawn from the market. CB1 receptors have been found to be necessary to induce food intake after a short period of food deprivation. By blocking these receptors, there is a powerful reduction of food intake and increased energy expenditure.

Acomplia is in U.S. and EU Phase III clinical trials for treating obesity and smoking cessation. Sanofi-Aventis believes that Acomplia can become more than a drug that combats obesity and smoking. The company is considering studies to determine if Acomplia can treat and prevent clogged arteries and heart disease.

Rimonabant data point to the drug’s potential to become a cornerstone in the management of patients with cardiovascular risk factors.

Even patients that did not lose weight taking Acomplia during clinical studies have benefited from using the drug. Results show that one-third of people who did not lose weight on the drug still had improvements in cholesterol and other heart-disease risk factors.

Sanofi-Aventis is expected to file rimonabant for U.S. approval in April. Some experts have speculated that the drug will be granted FDA priority-review status, and thus Acomplia could be launched by year-end 2005.

Analysts from Kepler Equities are more enthusiastic than ever for Acomplia after the excellent confirmation of Acomplia’s potential after the presentation of two-year data of the RIO-North America study at the American Heart Association Meeting. These analysts have forecasted 3.2 billion ($4.16 billion) in peak sales.

Bernstein Research analysts have projected Acomplia 2010 sales of 2.14 billion ($2.78 billion) for obesity management and 424 million ($551 million) for smoking cessation. Some analysts have Acomplia sales exceeding 1 billion ($1.3 billion) in 2007 and reaching 3 billion ($3.9 billion) by 2008. Other analysts have predicted peak product sales of $6 billion a year.