The FDA has warned the consumer against the multiple sites that sell counterfeit prescription drugs. This alert was issued after the FDA learned about the 24 related web sites that were involved in such activity.
The FDA received information that counterfeit versions of Xenical 120 mg capsules was sold from two different web sites. Xenical manufactured by Hoffman-La Roche, Inc. help obese people lose weight and maintain it. The capsules ordered off the Web sites did not contain orlistat, the active ingredient in authentic Xenical. In fact, laboratory analysis conducted by Roche and submitted to the FDA confirmed that one capsule contained sibutramine, which is the active ingredient in Meridia, an FDA-approved prescription drug manufactured by Abbott Laboratories. Not all people can use the drug though both help to lose weight. Both the drugs interaction profile is different. Sibutramine has to be administered once and the xenical thrice in a day.It seemed that both the drugs are combined to form anew drug which is highly dangerous. There is lot of risks involved in buying and consuming these counterfeit drugs obtained from the internet. Some times the validity period of the drug would have expired. There have even been instances when some drugs were found to be a composition of talc and starch.
FDA has initiated criminal proceeding against these websites.
Source-Medindia
BIN/V
