FDA Probes Link Between Weight Loss Pills and Liver Damage
August 25, 2009
Washington - The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is conducting an investigation to determine if alli, the only non-prescription weight loss pill approved by the bureau, is the direct cause of liver damage to several patients.
In 1999 to 2008, the bureau received more than 30 reports of liver damage in patients taking alli and its prescription version, Xenical. According to reports, six patients suffered from severe condition of liver failure.
While the FDA has not yet established a direct relation between taking the weight loss pills and the incidents of liver damage, it advised consumers to continue using these as directed on the label.
In a statement published on its website, the FDA said that anyone who experiences symptoms of liver damage such as nausea, vomiting, fever, and fatigue should immediately go to a doctor.
The two weight loss pills are distributed and sold by UK-based drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline PLC.
In a statement, GlaxoSmithKline Spokeswoman Debbie Bolding said there is no evidence that alli can cause liver damage, adding that this drug has been tested to more than 30,000 people in hundreds of clinical studies.
Bolding argued that liver damages are caused by several factors and conditions, adding that obese and overweight people are more vulnerable to liver-related diseases.