Fake Alli Pills Warning by FDA

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Recently, professionals have been asked to prescribe sibutramine, a lipid lowering drug after careful history taking to ascertain patients pre-existing health problems, particularly the heart problems; as the drug can induce a heart attack. Now a fake Alli diet pill containing sibutramine double the recommended dose may cause problem; a warning issued by FDA here.
"Unfortunately, many people with high blood pressure or heart disease are trying to improve their health by losing weight, and we are concerned that such individuals might be exposed to the counterfeit drug,"

clipped from www.cnn.com Fake Alli diet pills can pose health risks Washington (CNN) -- Counterfeit capsules of the diet drug Alli that are sold online can pose a serious health risk to some users, a research director from the Food and Drug Administration said Saturday. Testing shows that the counterfeit pills contain excessive amounts of sibutramine, a prescription drug and controlled substance that can place people with cardiovascular disease at risk for higher blood pressure, heart attack or stroke, said Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. The fake pills contain at least twice as much sibutramine as would normally be recommended, she said. Analysis also shows that the counterfeit pills lack the active ingredient orlistat found in the authentic Alli product, which prevents a portion of the fat eaten from being absorbed, Alli's Web site says. Instead, the fat passes directly through the digestive system and is eliminated.

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