Fat split up at Yalta, too!

[23 February 2007 - 14h30]
[mis à jour le 23 February 2007 à 15h33]

Orlistat, which promotes the elimination of fat consumed in food without the need for “digestion” is to become available as self-medication. So the big hunt is on with the market for the drug valued at billions of dollars.

This is not altogether a surprise. The Suisse Roche annual report, published on 7 February this year mentions “conversations” with GSK, the British pharmaceutical giant and world’s second largest drug company, with a view to gaining the right to market a “light” version of the drug in the United States (60 mg of Orlistat instead of 120 mg).

But now it’s no longer a question of the United States alone. A new press release issued in Basel refers to a licence “for worldwide rights excluding Japan”. Marketed in France under the name Xénical, in its original version Orlistat was a prescription-only drug. In 2006, sales of Orlistat were worth 426 million euros. And once the general public is able to obtain a half strength formula without prescription we should see a massive increase in sales…

Recently approved by the American FDA (Food and Drug Administration), the launch of the drug in the States should take place by the summer. This new little pill is known as Alli. Which has nothing to do with Ali Baba! It is pronounced Al-Eye, which in English sounds the same as Ally. GSK claims that its latest offspring, which is “safe and effective when used in accordance with the instructions, is “much more than just a pill – it’s a complete programme which, when combined with a reasonable diet, will increase weight loss”.

No doubt it’s something that many countries will be looking into. What will doctors think of allowing individuals to self-administer a weight-loss cure? The pursuit of the “perfect figure” can have psychological implications which may sometimes be better kept under the watchful eye of a professional.

Source : GSK USA, 7 February 2007 ; Roche, 7 and 20 February 2007

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