Two out of three doctors say they are likely to prescribe Acomplia (rimonabant) to treat patients with obesity after the new drug is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to a new research study.

Decision Resources, Inc., a leading research and advisory firm for pharmaceutical and health care issues, said its study found that 73 percent of endocrinologists and nearly 60 percent of primary care physicians were likely to prescribe Acomplia.

"If approved, Acomplia will be the first novel drug to hit the obesity market over the past five years, and many doctors say they will prescribe this drug for the indication," said DRI analyst Donny Wong.

But while doctors may be inclined to prescribe it, a larger question may be whether insurance companies are likely to pay for it.

DRI said nearly half of the managed care pharmacy directors surveyed indicated that the drug will likely not be covered owing to general policies that exclude weight-loss treatments from prescription benefits.

"A significant barrier to the use of Acomplia will be the attitudes and policies of HMO pharmacy directors, who continue to view obesity as a lifestyle issue rather than as a true medical condition," Wong said.