AMA on offensive over Xenical ads.

Australian Doctor,  March, 2006  

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

By Rebecca Jenkins

THE AMA has attacked a decision to allow the name of a weight-loss drug to be used in consumer advertisements, saying it could open the floodgates for other drugs.

The National Drugs and Poisons Schedule Committee (NDPSC) has recommended Roche be allowed to name in consumer advertising the drug orlistat (Xenical), which stops absorption of dietary fat, saying the move is in the public interest because of the obesity epidemic.

At present the medication, which has been available over the counter since 2004, is marketed under the slogan "Boost Your Diet ...

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.