Fake obesity drug sales found online

The real Alli

Counterfeits of weight-loss drug Alli have reportedly been found on sale on US-based websites, including renowned auction site eBay.

The genuine article, which is manufactured by leading UK-based pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is currently available over the counter in Britain and claims to help users lose more weight than dieting alone. However, the counterfeit version has been found not to contain orlistat as it should have done and instead contains sibutramine, a substance which last week was removed from use by the European Medicines Agency, after early data showed it may increase the risk of heart attacks and stroke.

The biggest concern is that, though the websites selling the counterfeit drug are based in America, the counterfeit packets may be available to British patients online. As such, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have warned against the "trend of self-diagnosing and self-prescribing", calling this practice "dangerous". Their warnings suggest that, unless the website has a physical address clearly displayed, and the green cross logo of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) is displayed, then the likelihood of obtaining a counterfeit product is greatly increased.

Risk

"Unregulated websites offer nothing more than a dangerous option to consumers," Mick Deats, MHRA Head of Enforcement, said in a statement. "This is because you often don't know what you're taking and your condition is not being monitored by a healthcare professional. It's just not worth taking that type of risk."

There is some good news, however: reports suggest that the counterfeit Alli can be distinguished from the genuine article thanks to two distinctive flaws. The first is that there is an absence of a lot code on the end flap of the outer packaging and the foil inner safety seal remains plain on the counterfeit version, lacking the otherwise appropriated printed words that autheticate the genuine product.

Markings

In addition, while the legitimate capsule is clearly marked 'Alli' in the UK and 'Orlistat' in the US, counterfeit versions largely remain unmarked, GlaxoSmithKline - which have been working with American regulators over the findings - added that they have identified a small quantity of fake weight loss products, falsely packaged and labelled as alli® on US sites.

According to a statement by GSK: "We fully supports the MHRA warning concerning purchasing medicines from unregistered websites. All retail pharmacies in Great Britain, including those providing internet services, must be registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain."

The statement added a warning that said: "Purchasing medicines from websites that are not connected to registered pharmacies can present a number of risks."

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