Worst Pills, Best Pills Newsletter, July 2010
Prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) versions of the diet drug orlistat (XENICAL, ALLI) are now required to contain new safety information about cases of severe liver injury associated with the use of the drug in their labeling, according to a May 26 announcement by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The FDA approved 120-milligram pills of orlistat as a prescription drug in 1999 for weight control in conjunction with a reduced-calorie diet. In 2007, a 60-milligram pill of orlistat was approved for OTC use for weight loss in overweight adults in conjunction with a reduced-calorie and low-fat diet. Orlistat in either prescription or OTC form is currently approved for marketing in approximately 100 countries.
Read more, including:
- Why are drug safety experts trying to get this drug pulled from the market?
- What kinds of risk do you face if you take this drug?
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