Weight loss drugs Xenical and Alli forced to add warning for possible liver damage by the FDA. Following a dozen reports of serious liver injury, the Food and Drug Administration has ordered the makers of the popular weight loss drugs to add a warning to their products, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
Pharmaceutical giants Roche and GlaxoSmithKline are the makers of the two drugs, which are the same except that Xenical has a higher dose and requires a prescription in the United States. The active ingredient in the medications is Orlistat.
The FDA and the two companies stressed the fact that the reported cases were extremely rare considering that more than 40 million people worldwide have taken either Alli or Xenical.
The new labels will direct consumers to stop taking the drugs and consult their doctor if they develop symptoms that indicate possible liver problems. These symptoms include itching, yellow eyes or skin, or darkened urine. Amazingly, another symptom of a possible problem is listed as "loss of appetite" -- which most people would assume you would be trying to do by taking a weight loss drug in the first place.
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