FDA approves first OTC weight loss pill
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an over-the-counter version of the fat-blocking diet drug Xenical last week, making it the first FDA approved weight loss product available without a prescription.
The drug will be sold under the brand name Alli and will contain about half the amount of the fat-blocking drug orlistat than the prescription version contains.
GlaxoSmithKline, the company that manufacturers the pill, expects the drug to be in stores by summer 2007.
Alli blocks the absorption of about 25 percent of the fat consumed when taken at meal times. The fat is then passed out of the body through stools and eliminates about 150 to 200 calories from fat.
Consuming a high-fat meal while using Alli can result in uncomfortable bowel changes such as loose stools or a sudden urge to use the bathroom, Brian Jones, vice president of communications for GlaxoSmithKline.
