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30th April 2009
Alli is now available without prescription and can be bought online at Boots.
18th November, 2008
The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has advised the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) that the weight loss medication Alli should be available over the counter.
Alli is the same as the drug Xenical, except at a lower dose. The Alli tablets will contain 60 mg instead of 120 mg of orlistat, and will be available from your pharmacist if you have a BMI in excess of 28.
It is an important stage in the use of a drug when its classification changes from prescription only to over the counter.
The CHMP have reclassified orlistat because trials have shown that 60 mg tablets are effective in helping overweight people to lose weight - in additional the gastrointestinal side effects are less with a smaller dose. The final decision for the approval of Alli over the counter rests with the EMEA, but they are likely to go with the advice of the CHMP.
Alli has been available over the counter in the US for a while now, and is marketed there by GlaxoSmithKline.