Health trends

Obesity drug Meridia withdrawn

Abbott Laboratories has agreed to voluntarily withdraw its obesity drug Meridia (sibutramine) from the United States market because of clinical trial data indicating an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, the US.Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced last week.

"Meridia's continued availability is not justified when you compare the very modest weight loss that people achieve on this drug to their risk of heart attack or stroke," said John Jenkins, MD, director of the Office of New Drugs in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

"Physicians are advised to stop prescribing Meridia to their patients and patients should stop taking this medication. Patients should talk to their health-care provider about alternative weight-loss and weight-loss maintenance programmes."

Meridia was approved by the FDA in November 1997 for weight loss and maintenance of weight loss in obese people, as well as in certain overweight people with other risks for heart disease. The approval was based on clinical data showing that more people receiving sibutramine lost at least five per cent of their body weight than people on placebo who relied on diet and exercise alone. The FDA requested the market withdrawal after reviewing data from the Sibutramine Cardiovascular Outcomes Trial.

Source: US Food and Drug Administration

Harmful stimulant in weight-loss product

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on October 8 advised consumers who have Slim-ming Beauty Bitter Orange Slim-ming Capsules not to use the product.

The FDA warns that Slimming Beauty Bitter Orange Slimming Capsules contain the active pharmaceutical ingredient sibutramine, a prescription-only drug which is a stimulant. Sibutramine is not listed on the product label and could harm consumers, especially those with cardiovascular conditions.

FDA lab tests reveal that the product contains excessive amounts of sibutramine that may be dangerous to people who have a history of cardiovascular disease, because it can lead to elevated blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack.

Consumers who are otherwise healthy and who take the amount of sibutramine found in Slimming Beauty capsules can experience anxiety, nausea, heart palpitations, a racing heart, insomnia, and elevated blood pressure. Sibutramine also may interact with other medications and can cause serious side effects. Sibutramine is a powerful stimulant that should not be used without a prescription due to the safety risks associated with it.

Source: US Food and Drug Administration