17:51 0 Comments

Every so often a drug comes along that is touted by doctors and, more loudly, by its manufacturers as the 'next big thing'. Such drugs invariably receive coverage in the general media to a far greater extent than is usually afforded to a new drug, news of which is usually restricted to specialist publications.
In June, 2006, the drug rimonabant1 was approved for doctors in the UK to prescribe, with other countries in the European Union expected to follow suit. This news made British newspapers such as The Times. Even before the drug was approved, stories were starting to appear in places such as The Guardian newspaper and the BBC news website. Coverage of this sort is usually reserved for the latest cancer drug but, in the early 21st Century, obesity is such an enormous health issue that a drug which can stop people from over-eating and help them to shed weight is newsworthy indeed. This is precisely what the makers and supporters of rimonabant claim it is able to do.