Reductil suspended in the UK but not in the USA
On the 24 January 2010, doctors and pharmacists were ordered to stop handing out the weight loss drug Reductil. In 2009, over 86,000 patients in the UK took Reductil, also known as Sibutramine.
The European Medicines Agency ordered this drastic action amidst fears that the slimming pill increased the risk of non-fatal heart attacks and strokes. The EMA felt that the weight loss achieved on Reductil was not significant enough the warrant the increased risk of cardio vascular problems. They have advised patients who are already taking the drug to stop taking the weight loss pill with immediate effect. Reductil is the second anti obesity treatment to be pulled off the shelves in the last two years. Acomplia, another hugely successful and highly successful weight-loss treatment was withdrawn by the EMA after being liked to suicidal thoughts in patients.
The EMA’s decision to withdraw Reductil was based on an international clinical trial, which showed that it increased the risk of cardio vascular problems. Reductil works by working on the part of the brain responsible for appetite. Patients taking the weight loss drug feel full more quickly which in turn means they eat less, reducing their calorific intake.
The trial, which was examined by the EMA, tracked 10,000 patients over the course of six years and found a sixteen per cent increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
In the USA, however, Sibutramine is still being prescribed by doctors, dispensed by pharmacists and being taken by patients. The Food and Drug Administration has responded to the results of the trial by beefing up the warnings on Sibutramine’s packaging, highlighting the increased risks for patients with a history of heart problems. The new packaging says that people with a history of heart failure, hypertension, irregular heartbeats and other problems should not take the slimming pill. They did however also release a statement, which urged patients on the weight loss medication to make an appointment with their doctor to discuss whether they should keep taking the weight loss pill of try a different weight loss treatment instead.
This action by the EMA means that Orlistat, which is marketed in the UK under the name Xenical, is the only prescription slimming pill still available in the UK. Orlistat is available in pharmacies in a lower dosage than that available on prescription and is marketed under the brand name Alli.
