GSK and Alli Lose - YOU Don't

   And that is the problem.  People who use the over the counter weight loss pill, Alli, do not lose weight. 
   I often take a look at pharmaceutical industry news - even the stock values and projected earnings of companies.  I think that we learn a lot about our health care system by doing so.  I wasn't surprised by what I read the other evening, but I do think I missed a piece when I wrote this three years ago... edited excerpt from post:

It has been a little while since our grocery stores held prominent displays of the latest OTC weight loss drug, Alli. Long too, since Wynona Judd did her print and TV ads endorsing the product. I of course, had my say in these pages.

Alli was intended to enhance weight loss by blocking some fat absorption.  The alternative, eating less fatty food, would be considered too inconvenient for people. I railed against the drug, I still rail against it and now the FDA has made a cautionary statement in its regard.

   That FDA statement focused on liver related side effects.  The drug had additional and more common side effects, in fact, it was recommended by the maker that initial use begin on a weekend - when you would not be around other people so much (gas, leakage, etc).
   I understood that Alli was the OTC version of Xenical/Orlistat, but did not realize that GlaxoSmithKline bought Xenical from Roche with the goal of modifying it (to make it safe enough to put on a shelf without a prescription) and profiting from its expected super sales.  GSK was the one behind all the commercials, Wal-Mart displays and celebrity endorsements.  It was an extensive and expensive marketing campaign.  Surely it made sense - we all want a pill that lets us eat whatever we desire and still lose weight (except that is NEVER what the fine print says).
   The current value of the product is - well NIL.  GSK is trying to sell and has no buyers.  The reasons the drug flopped are the very reasons I gave for hating it in 2008.
   Its efficacy was based on the person consuming foods low in fat and remaining calorie conscious - in other words, the pill was not the instigator of the weight loss the lower calorie intake was (it always is).  But people don't take pills because they are interested in changing their diet.  They do it instead of changing their diet (why I hate all obesity drugs).  A majority of people on Alli  did not lower their fat intake which led to substantial and embarrassing gas and diarrhea while on the pills. 
   Upshot with Alli: No weight loss, plenty of inconvenience and embarrassment.

 Thanks to the Motley Fool bloggers for their great post on this issue!

A Scandal and A Scam

I want this press release to be wrong - maybe it isn't a press release, but a story. Yes, this story from the NY Times - I want it to be wrong. It reports a collaboration between a drug company, GlaxoSmithKline and a so called nonprofit social and political advocacy group, Creative Coalition. They are going to make a documentary.

Now the topic of the documentary is one for which I have GREAT passion - obesity. It would be a film about people's tendencies to over eat and to become obese. It will address this relationship we have with food and how obesity can lead to serious adverse health outcomes.

Now you might ask why GSK would make such an investment, and believe me, they plan to spend the money - use their resources as they say -

It is because GSK wants to bring attention to the problem. They say that they will give the production crew free reign to create what they call an educational product. An educational product that they hope will lead to more prescriptions of their supposed weight loss drug, Alli. (the same type of educational programs drug companies have infamously provided to health care providers for the last ten years. - yes?)

Have I written about Alli? You are damn straight I have.
here
http://yourhealtheducator.blogspot.com/2009/08/diet-drugs.html
and here
http://yourhealtheducator.blogspot.com/2009/03/wellness-weekly-with-video.html
and here
http://yourhealtheducator.blogspot.com/2008/08/wellness-weekly.html

I absolutely believe that there should be health education and health promotion regarding obesity, its effects and what to do about it. I believe that there should be policy aimed at reducing the amount of high fat, high sugar, high calorie foods that are available to children, hospital patients and to employees. I believe a true non profit, a university or a government agency, like the CDC should make this happen.

I do not believe drugs are the answer and as far as this drug goes, the efficacy is not well documented and Public Citizen has it listed as a Do Not Use drug.

GSK has as its goal, to make a profit. Period. If people are convinced that they are over weight and in danger and that a pill is the answer, then they will go to the store and buy Alli. They do not even have to ask their doctor for it. This sounds like one big direct to consumer marketing ploy -

I wish Bill Gates would make a film about obesity and then we could use the commercial I created in grad school that encourages people to ask their doctors if they are at risk for an obesity related illness.

Here it is in case you missed it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgMtZLhNNG4