Net sales of diet drug Acomplia (rimonabant) edged up to almost $50 million (32 million Euros) in the second quarter of 2008, according to French pharmaceutical gians Sanofi-aventis.

This marked the strongest quarter for Acomplia since its launch two years ago, and was aided by the launch of the diet drug during the second quarter in both Brazil and Italy.

Sanofi said that for the first half of the year, sales of Acomplia in the 40 plus countries where it has been approved totaled $84 million (54 million Euros).

Sanofi's hopes that Acomplia would become a multi-billion-dollar blockbuster drug took a major hit a year ago when concern over psychiatric side-effects, notably anxiety and depression, led the company to withdraw its application to sell the diet drug in the United States.

Sanofi has indicated that it hopes to reapply to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval of Acomplia, focusing on the drug's use to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes.

Results from ARPEGGIO, a clinical trial on administration of Acomplia to patients with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes, were presented in June to the American Diabetes Association.