Rimonabant  is now also available in the United Arab Emirates for treatment of abdominally obese people with cardiometabolic risk factors, according to a June announcement by producer Sanofi-Aventis.This is the first announced launch of Acomplia in the Middle East. The medication has been available for some time now,like  a year in European Union, and is on sale in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico and other countries around the globe. A recent survey found that 39 percent of the UAE population is now obese and even more are overweight — one of the highest obesity rates in the Middle East,  Sanofi said.

“Among patiens who are overweight or obese, it is those with excess fat around their abdomen who are at the greatest risk of developing an abnormal lipid profile, type 2 diabetes and ultimately heart disease,” declared Dr. Wael Al Mahmeed, Vice President of the Emirates Cardiac Society.“

Rimonabant  is a very important progress in the treatment of cardio-metabolic risk factors which contribute to the world’s risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” Al Mahmeed also said.The launch of Acomplia will also feature an evening symposium for UAE doctors and specialists on the risks of abdominal obesity and overweight desise.