Acomplia was available for patients in the UK in 2006. In 2008 the drug was approved by NICE (the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) and is now available for patients all over the European Union.

Acomplia is only prescribed to individuals who are clinically diagnosed as obese (they have a BMI exceeding 30) or overweight (they have a BMI over 27) and manifesting certain risks connected with obesity such as type II diabetes or an unsatisfactory blood lipid profile.

Acomplia is not prescribed as an alternative to diet or exercises, but as a compliment to them, if the patients have shown that such measures alone did not help to treat obesity. The patients must continue to follow diet or exercise courses when taking Acomplia in order to achieve a better result.

In the Unite States Acomplia still remains to be unapproved by the FDA, although Sanofi-Aventis (the company producing Acomplia) has applied for the approval back in 2005. As of February 2006, the FDA declared that it will not grant approval before certain issues will be resolved. Until now there was no approval, and Acomplia isn’t expected to be approved for marketing in the US anytime soon.