Counterfeit Alli bottles have no printing
on the foil safety seal.
Jan. 18--If you have purchased the nonprescription weight-loss drug Alli over the Internet within the last three months, you need to check the package to ensure that you actually received Alli.
The drug's maker, GlaxoSmithKline, has determined that some products sold as Alli do not contain low doses of the fat-blocker orlistat. Rather, counterfeit Alli capsules containing the potentially dangerous appetite suppressant sibutramine are being sold online. Sibutramine is the active ingredient in the prescription-only medication Meridia.
Sibutramine can cause life-threatening spikes in blood pressure and heart rate. It should not be taken by patients on antidepressants known as MAOIs.
GSK is relying on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to spread the word about the counterfeit Alli. The agency lists the following differences between real and fake Alli products:
- The outer cardboard packaging of the fake product is missing a lot code.
- The expiration date printed on the fake product's box includes the month, day, and year (e.g., 06162010); authentic Alli packages have an expiration date that includes only the month and year (e.g., 05/12).
- The bogus bottle that has a slightly taller and wider cap with coarser ribbing than does the genuine product.
- Counterfeit Alli bottles have a plain foil inner safety seal under the plastic cap without any printed words, while the authentic product has a seal printed with the words SEALED for YOUR PROTECTION.
- Counterfeit capsules are larger and contain a white powder instead of small white pellets.
So far, all Alli sold through brick-and-mortar stores appears to be real and safe.
The FDA is asking anyone who thinks they received fake Alli from a Web site to stop using the product and to call 800-551-3989 or file a report online at http://www.fda.gov/OCI.
Comments