Researchers say an experimental pill that helps people lose weight and then keep it off is a "wonder drug." Not just for its weight-saving effects, but also because it appears to cut the risk of diabetes and even help people quit smoking.

The results of a two-year trial of the anti-obesity drug Acomplia showed that those who took the pill shed more pounds and abdominal fat than those in the placebo group. They also kept that weight off.

The drug won't be available in the United States for at least another year, and could take two years to be approved in Canada.

The fact that the pill not only reduced weight, but also abdominal fat, is significant. Recent studies suggest abdominal fat is a better predictor of a heart attack than overall weight or the body mass index (BMI).

"Reducing abdominal fat is a recognized priority for preventing cardiovascular disease," a statement from the French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis said.

The drug, clinically known as rimonabant, also increased participants' insulin sensitivity, lowered triglycerides and significantly improved levels of HDL, so-called good cholesterol.

Smoking and eating?

The drug works by blocking receptors in the Endocannabinoid System -- a part of the brain that regulates hunger, as well as other cravings, such as nicotine and alcohol.

Overeating and smoking can cause the EC system to become overstimulated, which can trigger a cycle of increased eating, or sustained tobacco dependence.

The breakthrough comes after researchers found that smoking marijuana triggered a "switch" in the brain that made the smoker get the "munchies." That led scientists to theorize the two urges were linked through the same regulatory system.

According to the lead investigator of the Canadian arm of the trial, the drug seems to offer doctors a breakthrough.

"Up until now we haven't had something that really has treated the root of this problem," Dr. Donal Spink told CTV.

Results of the study

Researchers followed 3,040 obese patients over two years.

They found that nearly 33 per cent of patients given 20 milligrams of Acomplia lost in excess of 10 per cent of their initial body weight. That is in contrast to 20 per cent of those on five milligrams of the drug, and 16.4 per cent of those on a placebo.

As for abdominal fat, patients on 20 milligrams of Acomplia lost eight centimetres around the waistline after two years, compared to 4.9 centimetres for the group taking five milligrams of the drug, and 3.8 cm for those in the placebo group.

Florence Cranley was one of the people who took the experimental course of Acomplia. Now, Cranley says, she's definitely pleased with the positive health effects she's experienced.

"One grandson wrapped his arms around my waist and said, 'Oh Grandma, you're getting so small.' That was such a thrill," she said, noting she shed 40 pounds while on the pill.

Her cholesterol levels also dropped 30 per cent, and her insulin levels returned to normal.

The effect of the drug on HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and insulin sensitivity "appeared to be twice that which would be expected from the degree of weight loss achieved," the news release said.

Dr. Spink says, combined with an earlier study that showed rimonabant effective as a smoking-cessation aid, the drug has a great deal of promise.

"It's changed people lives. Many had low self esteem, and could not even make eye contact," Spink says. "They actually became different people."

Dr. David Lau of Obesity Canada says the drug is indeed unique.

"This weight loss drug apppeared to be more effective than other weight loss drugs now on the market," he told CTV, calling it, "very innovative and exciting."

Although it's not yet been tested in "real world" conditions, researchers have recorded few side effects. Among the effects they did note: patients in the 20 mg group experienced a slightly higher incidence of depression, anxiety and irritability. There was also a slightly higher prevalence of nausea.

These findings, presented Tuesday at the American Heart Association annual scientific meeting, back up data from a one-year European trial of 1,500 patients.

Prepared with files from CTV's Avis Favaro