Weight drug approved for sale OTC

The prescription weight drug Alli has been approved for over-the-counter sales. It is the first prescription obesity drug to gain OTC status, and will compete for a slice of the billion-dollar market for herbals that now dominate the field. Alli has a good safety record with a few side effects that are uncomfortable but fairly easily tolerated, such as diarrhea. Data on Alli suggests that users can reliably lose 5 percent to 10 percent of their body weight.

- see the release on the decision
- read the report on Alli from The New York Times