What is "sibutramine"

n. (context pharmaceutical drug English) A synthetic drug used to suppress appetite in the treatment of obesity.

Sibutramine (usually in the form of the hydrochloride monohydrate salt) is an oral anorexiant. Until 2010 it was marketed and prescribed as an adjunct in the treatment of exogenous obesity along with diet and exercise. It has been associated with increased cardiovascular events and strokes and has been withdrawn from the market in several countries and regions including Australia, Canada, China, the European Union (EU), Hong Kong, India, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Sibutramine is a centrally-acting serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) structurally related to amphetamines, although its mechanism of action is distinct.

Sibutramine was originally developed in 1988 by Boots in Nottingham, UK, and marketed by Knoll Pharmaceuticals after BASF/Knoll AG purchased the Boots Research Division in 1995, and was most recently manufactured and marketed by Abbott Laboratories before its withdrawal from the market. It was sold under a variety of brand names including Reductil, Meridia, Siredia, and Sibutrex. It is classified as a Schedule IV controlled substance in the United States.