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news.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has warned consumers of the dangers of buying medicines from unregulated websites, after the discovery of counterfeit Alli, a weight loss drug, in the US.
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The FDA in the US has been working with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) following the report of counterfeit Alli, which although has not been found in the UK, is still potentially available to UK customers via the internet.
Alli is available over the counter (OTC) in the UK with the genuine product containing the active ingredient, orlistat.
Laboratory testing of the suspected counterfeit product, 60mg Alli capsules (120 capsule refill kit), revealed that it contained sibutramine, instead of orlistat. The licence for sibutramine was recommended for suspension across Europe last week by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) following evidence to suggest an increased risk of non-fatal heart attacks and strokes.
Mick Deats, head of Enforcement at MHRA, said: “The trend of self-diagnosing and self-prescribing is potentially dangerous, but unless the website has a physical address clearly displayed, and the green cross logo of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) then the likelihood of obtaining a counterfeit product is greatly increased.
“Buying weight loss medication from unregulated websites is a dangerous way to slim down. You don’t know what you’re taking and your condition is not being monitored by a healthcare professional. It’s just not worth taking that type of risk.”