FDA panel OKs OTC diet drug Xenical

An FDA advisory panel has given a thumbs up to GlaxoSmithKline's bid to move the weight-loss drug Xenical to OTC status. If the FDA follows the panel's recommendations--which it typically does--GSK will start selling the drug for about 60 cents a pill, or half of its current cost, by this summer. GSK is hoping that doctors will be more likely to recommend Xenical to patients once it goes over-the-counter. Prescription diet pills have not done well, plagued by a history of safety problems and few longterm health gains. In a clinical trial, patients taking Xenical lost an average of 5.3 to 6.2 pounds.

- read this report from The Chicago Tribune for more