The latest Drugs and Therapeutics Bulletin contains a review of rimonabant for weight loss and an update on drugs for overactive bladder syndrome.
The review of rimonabant (Acomplia®) contains information about the clinical efficacy, side effects, cautions and cost of rimonabant. It is suggested that orlistat is used first line in patients who fail to loose weight with diet and lifestyle changes. The authors conclude that, "we do not believe that rimonabant represents a significant advance for patients with obesity".
The update on drugs for overactive bladder provides a background to overactive bladder syndrome and details the different drug treatments. The update highlights that, in terms of efficacy, there is little to choose between the treatments and therefore the most cost effective option is immediate release oxybutynin. Where this choice causes intolerable side effects an alternative oral product should be tried taking into consideration the product cost. Transdermal products may avoid antimuscarinic side effects but these are at the expense of application site reactions.
Action: Clinicians who are asked to prescribe treatments to aid weight loss in obese patients or who treat patients with overactive bladder syndrome will find this issue of the DTB to be a useful update of the current evidence.