We have just heard that an advisory panel at the National Institute for Clinical Excellence is unlikely to recommend that Acomplia should be available free on the NHS. Acomplia is a pretty expensive medication and it is not believed that value for money would be provided. Acomplia will continue to be available on private prescription.
There is more news on Taranabant – the Merck competitor drug to Acomplia. This drug is now nearing the end of its phase III clinical trials and we believe that results have been positive. There have been reports of psychiatric side effects but this is not exactly surprising as Merck appears to have included patients with a history of depression and those currently being treated for depression. These categories of patients were deliberately excluded from the Acomplia trials. As always, we will bring you more news on Taranabant as it comes in.