Originally published February 26 2006
Doctors split in their assessment of new weight loss drug
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Macon.com interviews physicians and patients across the state about their experiences with Xenical, a prescription weight loss drug that will soon be sold over-the-counter as Alli.
The news that a weight-loss pill will soon be sold over the counter, allowing Americans to pig out without worrying about their waistlines, is a fantasy that ranks right up there with a knock on the door from Publisher's Clearinghouse.
The fat-blocking pill comes with plenty of caveats, according to those who have already had first-hand experiences with the drug orlistat, which has been sold in prescription form as Xenical since 1999.
"I'd give it low marks," said Scot Roskelley, 49, who used it during 2002, without seeing any results on the scale.
If the FDA takes the advice of its scientific advisers, Xenical - reincarnated as Alli - could be on the market just in time for swimsuit season.
"As much as we want it, there's no such thing as a magic bullet," said Dr. Jeanette Newton Keith, a gastroenterologist at the University of Chicago, adding that patients will lose 5 percent to 10 percent more weight on the drug than they would with diet alone.
Terry Hurley, a spokesman for Roche Pharmaceuticals, which marketed the prescription version of Xenical, said global sales of the drug in 2004 amounted to about $455 million.
Sales for the first half of 2005 were about $240 million.
He could not estimate the number of prescriptions for Xenical worldwide.
There are also some health benefits that might make the down side tolerable.
Taken before mealtime, Xenical works by blocking the body's absorption of fat - averaging about 200 calories a day that is not digested and passes out in the bowel movement.
But patients still need to exercise and eat prudently.
Because the drugs are expensive - about $2 per pill and not covered by insurance - McCray says she would frequently skip doses or swipe a handful from her husband, who is also obese.
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