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OTC Diet Pill Is Approved

February 07 , 2007 - Food and Drug Administration –

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on February 07, 2007 about the approval of orlistat capsules as the over-the-counter weight-loss pill to be used by overweight adults in combination with low-fat low-calorie diet and exercising.

Orlistat is the active ingredient of Xenical - popular diet pill, which was initially approved in 1999 as the prescription medication to treat obesity. Xenical contains 120 mg of the active substance and it is produced by Roche pharmaceutical company. The new OTC version of the drug (available without prescription), containing 60 mg of orlistat, will be available under the trade name “Alli”. GlaxoSmithKline Corporation, the producer of Alli says that new weight loss aid will be available in the American stores in summer 2007.

Alli pills should be taken only in combination with a properly-balanced low calorie diet and exercising. In this case the medication will ensure up to 50% increase of weight loss in comparison to the results, provided by the diet itself. For example, if your diet provides weight loss rate of about 10 pounds per month, taking Alli regularly will help you lose about 15 pounds for the same period of time.

The principle of action of Alli OTC pills is similar to the action of its prescription analogue. Orlistat is the working ingredient, which prevents certain enzymes in the human intestinal tract from digesting fats from foods we eat. Normally these enzymes break down all the fat into simple compounds, which can be easily absorbed by the human body. Orlistat inhibits those enzymes in such a way that about 25% of all the fat from the consumed food remains unchanged and cannot be absorbed by the body. Thus, this fat is eliminated from the body without contributing to the weight gain.

That is why the recommended regimen for Alli diet pills is three pills per day after each fat-containing meal. This regimen is called to neutralize part of the fats, one consumes with food.

Alli is considered to be a safe medication, because it works only in the digestive system and does not interfere with other body systems, such as brains or heart. The producer of the medication promises that Alli will never make you feel jitters, sleeplessness, or a racing heart. However, as any other medication, Alli may sometimes cause adverse reactions.

The most common side effects are the bowel changes, such as gas with oily spotting, loose stools or more frequent stools that may be hard to control. The producer of the medication also warns consumers not to use Alli along with blood thinning medications or other weight-loss drugs. Besides, patients with the organ transplants should not take this medication in view of possible interaction with the drugs, used to prevent transplant rejection.

Finally, it is important to note that it is recommended to take a multivitamin once a day during the treatment with Alli. It is because some minerals and nutritional elements from food may also be washed out from the organism along with the fat under the influence of orlistat.

Nick

External resources
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01557.html
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/orlistat_otc/index.htm
http://www.gsk.com/products/consumer_healthcare/dw_alli.htm
http://www.myalli.com/whatisalli.aspx