The maker of Alli (pronounced AL-eye) is voluntarily recalling all the weight loss products from U.S. and Puerto Rico retailers because it believes that some packages of the product were tampered with and may contain product that is not authentic.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare said it received inquiries from consumers in seven states about bottles of Alli that contained tablets and capsules that were not the weight-loss product. Alli, a non-prescription version of the drug orlistat, prevents about 25% of fat from being absorbed by the intestines.
This is a real setback for patients and doctors who are trying to manage weight to improve health, said obesity researcher Donna Ryan, professor emeritus at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge. "From a patient perspective, it is a loss. Patients say the medication works. It helps them avoid tempting high-fat meals and snacks.
"From a doctor's perspective, this is the only over-the-counter medication that had evidence published in peer-reviewed journals to support efficacy and safety," Ryan said. "Everything else on the shelf next to it has simply a claim and almost all have no effect whatsoever. There is four-year data to support this medication as being effective in preventing weight regain."
Patrick O'Neil, director of the Weight Management Center at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, said, "Hopefully this problem will be resolved quickly so dieters can feel safe using the product again."
GSK is conducting an investigation of the tampered products, and is working with the Food and Drug Administration on the retailer-level recall.
"Safety is our first priority," said Deborah Bolding, a spokeswoman for the company. "We want people to look at the Alli they have at home on their medicine shelf and make sure it's authentic.
"If they think they have a product that has been tampered with, we'd like them to call us at 800-671-2554 and get the product back to us. We'll make it easy for them to get it back to us. If that product has in fact been tampered with, it will be part of the investigation," Bolding said.
The maker of Alli (pronounced AL-eye) is voluntarily recalling all the weight loss products from U.S. and Puerto Rico retailers because it believes that some packages of the product were tampered with and may contain product that is not authentic.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare said it received inquiries from consumers in seven states about bottles of Alli that contained tablets and capsules that were not the weight-loss product. Alli, a non-prescription version of the drug orlistat, prevents about 25% of fat from being absorbed by the intestines.
This is a real setback for patients and doctors who are trying to manage weight to improve health, said obesity researcher Donna Ryan, professor emeritus at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge. "From a patient perspective, it is a loss. Patients say the medication works. It helps them avoid tempting high-fat meals and snacks.
"From a doctor's perspective, this is the only over-the-counter medication that had evidence published in peer-reviewed journals to support efficacy and safety," Ryan said. "Everything else on the shelf next to it has simply a claim and almost all have no effect whatsoever. There is four-year data to support this medication as being effective in preventing weight regain."
Patrick O'Neil, director of the Weight Management Center at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, said, "Hopefully this problem will be resolved quickly so dieters can feel safe using the product again."
GSK is conducting an investigation of the tampered products, and is working with the Food and Drug Administration on the retailer-level recall.
"Safety is our first priority," said Deborah Bolding, a spokeswoman for the company. "We want people to look at the Alli they have at home on their medicine shelf and make sure it's authentic.
"If they think they have a product that has been tampered with, we'd like them to call us at 800-671-2554 and get the product back to us. We'll make it easy for them to get it back to us. If that product has in fact been tampered with, it will be part of the investigation," Bolding said.
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