Obese French citizens seeking to buy diet drug Acomplia (rimonabant) will not be reimbursed by the French social security system unless they are type 2 diabetics for whom other treatment has failed. And even then, only 35 percent of the cost of the drug will be covered.

The reimbursement conditions, which greatly limit the number of French patients eligible to get some insurance help in purchasing the diet pill, are the latest disappointment for Sanofi-Aventis, which saw its application for reimbursement of Acomplia totally rejected in Germany.

Reimbursement for Acomplia in France is limited to obese patients -- (BMI of 30 or more, not those who are just overweight) -- with type 2 diabetes whose disease is insufficiently treated by the standard diabetic drugs sulfonylurea or metformin alone, according to Sanofi.

Under conditions published in the Official Journal on March 22nd, doctors must first try other diabetic therapies and must place the patient on a special diet and program of physical exercise, Sanofi said.

Acomplia will be sold in France for 71.63 euros, including tax, for a 28-day supply, Sanofi said.