Sanofi-Aventis, in discussing the company's second-quarter earnings with financial analysts on July 19th, declined to provide any new information on the progress of Acomplia (rimonabant), its anti-obesity and smoking drug which has been submitted for regulatory approval in both the United States and Europe.

Sanofi has filed for regulatory approval both with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and with European regulators, and hopes to begin marketing the drug in 2006.

But Sanofi executives, in a meeting where they discussed a number of their other drugs, refused to give any further details of the progress in bringing Acomplia to market.

The Sanofi executives told financial analysts they would have to wait until the end of August for a further Acomplia update.