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Alli
Weight Loss Pill Linked To Liver Damage
Monday,
07/13/2009
Alli, a pill meant for losing weight, reached massive sales during
2009. This is the first pill of its kind that could be taken without
a physician’s prescription and it works by blocking fat absorption
in the person’s intestines, thus reduces the number of calories
absorbed. Recent studies have indicated that consuming this pill may
cause liver damage in the users.
The major ingredient in Alli is drug orlistat and there have been
reports of problems among people who consume orlistat regularly.
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the
drugs regulator in UK, received more than 30 reports of adverse
effects in people who are consuming orlistat since the launching of
Alli in April 2009. But it is still not clear whether the effects
are the result of Alli or Xenical, a stronger pill which also has
orlistat as its ingredient. However, Xenical is to be taken only
under medical supervision.
Xenical was launched in 2001 and since then, 24 of its consumers
have died. One due to liver failure and others due to heart attack,
multi-organ failure, lung clots or gall bladder inflammation. Five
sudden deaths also took place in which the cause is still unclear.
In totality, more than 1250 reports have come so far which indicate
that Xenical is causing side effects to patients including heart
related problems, skin issues and gastro-intestinal complaints.
Around 100 people were reported with liver related problems.
On the launching day of Alli in UK, pill worth £1million were
instantly sold out. Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK), the manufacturer of the
pill, claims that it can encourage weight loss by 50%, thus helping
the users to lose an extra pound. The pill is made for people who
have a body mass index of over 28. But because this pill can be
taken without prescription, women who are slimmer are also taking
them. Some pharmacists are also breaking the rules and giving this
medicine to people who have a body mass index of less than 28.
Seeing this, the FDA has expressed possibilities of banning the drug
or at least labeling it to be taken only under prescription
guidance.
The European Medicines Agency is also working with FDA in this
respect. FDA said that there are rare reports that indicate
hepatitis or other laboratory abnormalities related to liver in
users taking orlistat and it is closely observing the issue for
determining whether any regulatory action is needed or not.
GSK said that the safety of their consumers is most important to
them and it has already supplied all the needed information about
the side effects to the drug bodies of the government. It said that
millions of users across US are using Alli and more than 100 studies
have been conducted that involve over 30,000 patients around the
world. A spokesperson for Roche, the manufacturer of Xenical, also
said that the company is closely related to the safety of the
patients and that there are no evidences of a direct link between
liver toxicity and Xenical. |
