Diet drug rimonabant (Acomplia / Zimulti) has been approved by ANVISA, the Brazilian health authority, for sale in Latin America's largest country, drug-maker Sanofi-Aventis announced on April 26th.

Acomplia was approved by Brazil for use "as an adjunct to diet and exercise for the treatment of obese patients (BMI more than 30) or overweight patients (BMI more than 27) with associated risk factors, such as type 2 diabetes or dyslipidemia."

Brazil thus joins two other large countries, Argentina and Mexico, where the diet drug already is on the market.

Meanwhile, Acomplia Report has learned that the Netherlands has become the latest European country to reject insurance reimbursement for patients purchasing Acomplia.

The German state insurance system earlier classified Acomplia a life-style drug and rejected reimbursing patients, and the French government has agreed to provide partial coverage only for obese (not simply overweight) patients who also have inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes.