A safe, effective diet pill - the elusive holy grail

Trade in illegal, ineffective drugs flourishes as pharmaceutical industry repeatedly fails to produce successful pillAttempts to invent a safe and effective diet pill have foundered time and again, allowing the internet trade in illegal and ineffective herbal supplements and dangerous drugs, such as DNP, to flourish.A successful diet pill could make billions for the pharmaceutical industry, but efforts to date have ended in disaster, with patients harmed, drugs banned and massive compensation paid out.Fen-phen, an appetite suppressant, was the most spectacular failure. It was withdrawn in the US in 1997 after causing widespread heart valve damage.More recently, two other appetite suppressants have been taken off the market in the UK – sibutramine (Reductil) and rimonabant (Acomplia). Both went through the extensive trials required to get a licence and appeared to work, but once they were being widely used, dangerous side-effects emerged.Rimonabant made some people feel suicidal. Sibutramine increased the chances of having a non-fatal heart attack or stroke.The only drug that has official NHS approval – orlistat, sold under the brand name Xenical – is unpopular. It works by preventing the absorption of fat in the gut and often causes diarrhoea. It does nothing to dampen the appetite. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends it for obese patients, but only if they have managed to lose 2.5kg (5.5lb) over four weeks through dieting. It must be stoppe...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: The Guardian Diets and dieting Drugs trade Healthcare industry World news Pharmaceuticals industry & wellbeing Health policy Society Politics UK news Life and style Public services policy Business Science Source Type: news