Federal regulators announced this week that they are investigating 32 cases of serious liver injury in individuals who are taking weight loss drugs. The drugs involved were promoted by pharmaceutical manufacturers Roche Holding and GlaxoSmithKline.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that between 1999 and 2008, it received six reports of liver failure in patients who were taking the weight loss drug orlistat. Orlistat is currently sold over-the-counter as Alli by GlaxoSmithKline and in prescription form as Xenical by Roche.

Negative symptoms associated with use of orlistat include yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, weakness and stomach pain.

The FDA has not yet found a definite link between the reported liver injuries and the weight loss products, but the investigation is ongoing. The agency has not instructed physicians to stop prescribing the drug, but has issued a public alert to inform consumers that there are concerns about the medication.

Representatives from Glaxo stated that there is no evidence that Alli causes liver damage. Representatives from Roche weren't immediately available to comment.

(Source: wsj.com)

Labels: weight loss drugs, drugs, liver damage

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The top-selling diet pill Hydroxycut has been withdrawn from store shelves in the United States, Finland, and Canada after it was linked to 23 instances of serious liver damage and one death. Authorities in Ireland have also advised consumers not to use the drug.

The action comes on the heels of a statement by the United States Food and Drug Administration: "Some Hydroxycut products are associated with a number of serious liver injuries. The FDA has received 23 reports of serious health problems ranging from jaundice and elevated liver enzymes, an indicator of potential liver injury, to liver damage requiring liver transplant. ... One death due to liver failure has been reported. Liver injury, although rare, was reported by patients at the doses of Hydroxycut recommended on the bottle."

According to the USDA, "Symptoms of liver injury include jaundice and brown urine. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, light-colored stools, excessive fatigue, weakness, stomach or abdominal pain, itching, and loss of appetite." According to the U.K.'s Food Standards Agency, until this recall Hydroxycut was the highest selling weight-loss supplement in North America.

(Source: www.independent.co.uk)

Labels: liver damage, hydroxycut, recall

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