The FDA has issued a warning about counterfeit supplies of Alli, the weight loss drug. The counterfeit supplies were first reported by consumers in December 2009.
So far it seems that all purchases of the counterfeit Alli were purchased on the Internet. If you purchased Alli 60 mg capsules in the 120 count refill kit from a website, then your supply may be bogus - and dangerous.
Among the differences between the real Alli and the counterfeit version is the fact that Orlistat, the active ingredient in real Alli, is missing. It has been replaced by another, controlled, substance called sibutramine. Sibutramine, as it turns out, is the active ingredient in Meridia, another weight loss drug. The problem is that it can be dangerous for some people, and should not be taken without a doctor's knowledge and guidance.
Check the FDA's description of the differences between the real Alli and the counterfeit version to determine whether your supply is tainted. If it is, then report your bogus supply at the FDA's Criminal Investigation website. There is no guidance from the FDA on whether you can or should try to get your money back from the site where you purchased it.
Alli is just one more in the long list of drugs that have been "knocked off" -- tainted in some way, or copied in some way, for criminals to make money. Counterfeiting drugs is the new drug trafficking. Learn more about counterfeit drugs, their entry into the legal drug supply, and what you can do to protect yourself from the harm that can come from ingesting these tainted products.
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