New York (ECN) - Sanofi-Aventis, a French pharmaceutical company began selling its anti-obesity drug Acomplia in Europe in 2006. The appetite reducing drug was used for those patients who have a BMI (body mass index) over 30-kg/m2, as well as those with a BMI over 27 kg/m2 who were also at risk for type 2 diabetes or dyslipdaemia.

During this time 18 states belonging to the European Union have been receiving and distributing this medication. However, in 2007 the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) put a ban on the anti-obesity drug being used in the United States.

The FDA was concerened with the report provided by the manufacturer which discussed study results linking use of Acomplia to increased depression, anxiety, and other stress dissorders amongst the medications' users.

The company Sanofi-Aventis, has been providing these side effect warnings along with the medication, and had begun a campaign to advise doctors to discontinue prescribing this medicatin to any patients were prone to depression. In the meantime, the company continued study ways to reduce these side effects.

However, extended studies have shown that the medication Acomplia side effect ratio was higher than originally suspected, which often resulted in patient's discontinuing the medication before receiving the weight loss results desired.

Recently the European Medicines Agency, which is responsible for determining the safety of drugs which have already been released, suggested that the European Union suspended the authorization for marketing Acomplia. Due to these concerns, Sanofi-Aventis has announced that they are halting sales of the medication.