Lab trials have found that Rimonabant may help overweight and obese people to lose fat. It was also found that the medication might lessen the risk of cardiovascular heart disease and diabetes, and be of help to people who are trying to cease smoking.

Rimonabant targets visceral fat, a section of fat which stores around internal organs. Lessening this section of fat has been found to alleviate the production of harmful compounds (such as cholesterol), which prevent the body responding to insulin. This effectively means that Rimonabant can lessen the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular heart disease.

Although available in the EU since 2006 for use as an adjunct to diet and exercise for obese or overweight people with associated risk issues, Acomplia failed to secure FDA approval in the US. Concerns had been increasing that people using Acomplia (or Zimulti as it was marketed in the States) were at heightened risk of psychiatric adverse problems, including suicidality.

In keeping with with the one-year data, the results showed that overweight and obese people using rimonabant 20mg/d gained significant reductions in body fat, waist circumference (an indicator of abdominal morbid obesity) and improved lipid and glycaemic profiles compared with placebo recipients. Rimonabant also had a significant impact on metabolic CVD risk issues, greater than that expected by fat-loss alone.

Generic Rimonobant is the first selective CB1 receptor blocker being approved for use as anti-morbid obesity medication. The medication, in European Union nations, has been directed for use in conjunction with diet and exercise especially for having BMI of more than 30kg/cm2 or people having BMI of 27kg/cm2 or more with related risk issues like type 2 diabetes or Dyslipidaemia. The preparation is already being sold in the United Kingdoms since July 2006 onwards.