Alli and Xenical Investigated Over Liver Damage Reports

August 2009

Alli, the only nonprescription weight loss drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is being investigated over liver damage reports.

The FDA has received over 30 reports of liver damage in patients taking Alli and Xenical, the prescription version of the drug. The reports include 27 hospitalizations and six patients who suffered liver failure. Alli and Xenical are both marketed by drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline, though Xenical is manufactured by Roche.

The FDA says it has not established a direct link between the weight loss drugs and liver damage. The agency advises patients to continue using the medications as directed but to contact a health care professional if they experience symptoms of liver damage, including fatigue, fever, nausea, and vomiting.