Cannabinoid Receptor, Type 1 (CB1) antagonists were supposed to be the next big thing.
They're weight loss drugs, and with obesity rates rising and the diet craze showing no signs of abating, that's a large and growing market(...sorry). They worked, at least in the short term, and they were at least as effective as existing pills. They may even have had health benefits over and above promoting weight loss, such as improving blood fat and sugar levels through metabolic effects.
It all started off well. Rimonabant, manufactured by Sanofi, was the first CB1 antagonist to become available for human use: it hit the European market in 2006, as Acomplia.Fourlargeclinicaltrials showed convincingly that it helped people lose weight. Rival drug companies were hard at work developing other CB1 antagonists, and inverse agonists (similar, but even more potent). The "bants" included Merck's taranabant, Pfizer's otenabant, and more.
Even more excitingly, there were ...
