Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Sanofi Aventis - Acomplia: a "need to have" or a "nice to have" drug?

Sanofi-Aventis ' new diet pill, Acomplia, may get limited sales in Germany because the treatment is being targeted by a national plan to trim health-care spending.

A German panel of doctors and insurers earlier this month recommended the government classify Acomplia as a ``lifestyle'' drug, not one that is necessary for treating a disease. The proposal, if carried out, means the medicine's 100-euro ($127.40) a month cost won't be reimbursed covered by state health insurance plans, and will probably inhibit sales.

The recommendation is part of Germany's strategy to reduce medical expenses, echoing a new round of health-spending cutbacks in several European countries.

Rejecting coverage for new and expensive medicines would threaten several drugmakers, such as New York-based Pfizer Inc. and Sanofi, France's largest pharmaceutical company.

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