The weight loss drugs market sector is expected to grow to 1.7 billion dollars by the year 2014 according to some pharma market analysts. The new much awaited drug from Sanofi Aventis called Accomplia is the the drug that should give a real boost to the market sector when it gets final FDA approval.

The market for weight loss drugs is especially growing due to the fact that obesity is becoming a global pandemic in developed countries. Accomplia has many backers and may end up taking more than half of the weight loss drugs sales worldwide. The market is still comparatively small compared to other drug sectors with sales in the top seven national markets not reaching five hundred million dollars in the year 2004.

The reason for the small revenues is partly because people tend not to get doctors help when they become overweight or obese and also because the drugs rarely are covered by medical insurance plans. Bad press about the side effects of weight loss pills and the Fen-Phen weight loss drug problem has meant that doctors are wary of prescribing these drugs except in extreme cases.In order to for new drugs to be successful financially and to reach out to a big market they must position themselves differently to previous weight loss drugs, and Accomplia aims to do this.

Sanofi Aventis say that Accomplia is the first weight loss drug that has clinically proved that it is able to be of benefit for cardiovascular and metabolic function. For example Accomplia reduces triglycerides, increases HDL cholesterol levels and heightens insulin sensitivity.

The fact that Accomplia is likely to be launched in a blaze of publicity and will get people talking about weight loss drugs, what they do and how they work may mean that the other weight loss drug Reductil and Xenical may also get an increase in sales. Sanofi Aventis hopes that the FDA will give approval for the sale of Accomplia before the end of 2006.

Accomplia also has some rivals for the future with a drug from Alizyme called Cetilistat which is still being tested and another from Arena codenamed APB-356 at present. Cetilistat works as a fat blocker like the weight loss drug Xenical and may have less side effect profiles which will be an important factor in its eventual popularity.

APB-356 the drug from Arena works like fenfluramine which has had bad reports on its side effects before, but will be put through a rigorous testing procedure to prove its safety. If the safety profiles can be met then it should be a big money earner for Arena.

The critical thing for the future of Accomplia is of course its FDA approval.