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Obesity drug to sell over counter
An article by Sarah
Posted January 23, 2009 An anti-obesity drug will be available without prescription in UK pharmacies in the next few months, it was announced.
The drug will be placed behind the counter in chemists so pharmacists and pharmacy assistants can quiz patients to make sure the drug is suitable.
European regulators granted the licence to allow Orlistat (alli) to be available in pharmacies after giving preliminary approval in October.
A spokesman for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), which makes the drug, said the cost to patients in the UK would be similar to that in the US – currently two US dollars (£1.45) a day.
It is the first time the European Commission has authorised a non-prescription weight loss drug, he added.
Tablets will be available to adults with a BMI of 28 or more in all 27 EU countries. A BMI of 28 is classed as overweight while over 30 is obese.
James Hallatt, general manager of GSK Consumer Healthcare UK, said: “Receiving a licence for alli heralds a significant milestone which may contribute to relieving the growing burden of obesity in the UK.
“We are pleased that we can offer a new, clinically proven option for thousands of people who struggle to lose weight.
Dr David Haslam, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said: “Research has shown that consumers are spending millions of pounds each year on fad diets, unproven ‘miracle pills’, and potentially unsafe weight-loss supplements.
“Medically proven licensed products give consumers the option of something which can genuinely support meaningful weight loss.”
I’ve been trying to lose weight for months. Pills, diets, programs… nothing worked! At the end I awakened to the fact that I had to change my eating habits and work out. I’m losing a pound per week by eating 400 calories less than I burn on a daily basis