Rimonabant: the evidence for its use in the treatment of obesity and the metabolic syndrome.

Introduction: Obesity and overweight affect over 1 billion people worldwide and are leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Clinical features of obesity converge with those of the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, greatly increasing the risk of long-term adverse outcomes.

Aims: To review the evidence on rimonabant, a novel CB1 receptor antagonist, for the treatment of obese and overweight patients.