The drug, rimonabant, which the French company Sanofi-Aventis hopes to sell under the brand name Acomplia, trimmed nearly 16 pounds on average from people taking the optimal dose for two years, compared with 5.5 pounds for those who took dummy pills, doctors reported Tuesday at a cardiology conference.

Acomplia works in an entirely different way, by blocking a “pleasure center” in the brain, leading people to eat less and acting directly on fat cells to prevent weight gain. Company studies suggest it also might help people quit smoking.

‘Miracle’ Weight Loss Pill (Acomplia)-May Offer Obesity Cure

More and more studies show that this medication helps patients loose weight when compared to a placebo. Most of the weight reduction results from patients limiting the number of calories they consume on a daily basis. Acompliaworks different it helps to control appetite.This is something that for many patients involved in weight reduction programs is a major obstacle to achieve.

Even though the safety of the Acomplia is being monitored very careful , no major problems have been reported. But there are some mild side effects that people should be aware of, including nausea, dizziness or depression.