The agency on Friday added another three names to its existing list of adulterated weight loss products – Herbal Xenicol, Slimbionic, and Xsvelten – bringing the total number of products up to 72.
“These tainted weight loss products pose a great risk to public health because they contain undeclared ingredients and, in some cases, contain prescription drugs in amounts that greatly exceed maximum recommended dosages,” said Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
“Consumers have no way of knowing that these products contain dangerous drugs that could cause serious consequences to their health.”
Quick fix fraud
The weight loss category has been particularly susceptible to adultery due to a widespread consumer desire to find a ‘quick fix’ to problems of overweight; and the internet has served as fertile breeding ground for the sale of unapproved products that tap into this consumer desire.
However, the category is also a focus for FDA and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which regulates product advertising, and the past year in particular has seen them step up their efforts to clean up the market.
At the end of last year, FDA identified 28 fraudulent products marketed for weight loss. In January, it added 41 more tainted items to its hit list. FDA last week said it “will continue to update this list as warranted”.
The agency, which has warned consumers to stop taking the products, said it has already inspected some of the manufacturers. FDA warmed that if the companies do not respond adequately to recall requests it will pursue additional enforcement measures, which could include warning letters, product seizures, injunctions or criminal charges.
Harmful pharmaceuticals
Some of the undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients found in these products include:
- fenproporex – a controlled substance not approved for marketing in the United States;
- fluoxetine – an antidepressant available by prescription only;
- bumetanide – a potent diuretic available by prescription only;
- furosemide – a potent diuretic available by prescription only;
- rimonabant – a drug not approved for marketing in the United States;
- cetilistat – an experimental obesity drug not approved for marketing in the United States;
- phenytoin – an anti-seizure medication available by prescription only; and
- phenolphthalein – a solution used in chemical experiments and a suspected cancer-causing agent that is not approved for marketing in the United States.
“The health risks posed by these products can be very serious and include high blood pressure, seizures, tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), palpitations, heart attack, and stroke,” said the agency.