Doha: The Supreme Council of Health (SCH) has banned the use and sale of Reductil Sibutramine, a popular anti-obesity pill, due to its potential health hazards.
The suspension of trading the medication, which is produced by the German company Abbott, came after the recommendation of the European Agency for Drugs came to know of the adverse effects on health, according to an official source from the SCH's Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Control department, the Qatar News Agency reported Wednesday.
The medicine which was sold over the counter until a doctor’s prescription was made compulsory by the health authorities some years ago, could increase the patient’s chances of suffering a heart attack or stroke.
The source warned the public from using the medication and called on institutions not to import it under its various trade names and different concentrations. The tablet is available in 10mg and 15mg sachets that are priced at QR257 and QR291, respectively.
According to The Guardian, the medicine was also banned in Europe when the European Medicines Agency recently ordered doctors across the continent to stop prescribing Sibutramine and told pharmacists not to dispense the drug, which is marketed in many countries as Reductil.
The watchdog's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use conducted a study of 9,800 patients revealing that the risks of Sibutramine outweighed any benefits.
About 86,000 people took the drug last year. It is prescribed alongside lifestyle changes for patients who are classed as clinically obese. It is also prescribed for people who have type two diabetes or abnormal levels of fat in their blood.
