October 2010

Anti-obesity drug sibutramine eventually gets kicked out

On October 13th, the KFDA announced that anti-obesity drug sibutramine will be prohibited on sale and be withdrawn from the market, after discussing the issue with the Central Pharmacist Consultation Committee.

Those are follow-up measures as the original manufacturer of the drug, Abbott accepts the advice from the American FDA's "Self-withdrawal and prohibition on prescribing and using."

"Circumstances have not changed since Abbott announced it will maintain the drugs on sale, but would keep stronger management.

However, after tests run by the state-run AERS, the U.S. government concluded that the benefits provided by the drug do not outrun its side-effect risks.

The drug manufacturer accepted government's judgement and, thus, took additional measures," said KFDA.

In line with the additional measures, KFDA banned the doctors and pharmacists prescribing and giving out the pills.

And KFDA also advised the patients relying on the pills to stop taking the pills and to consult specialists to use alternative measures for losing weight.