The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday indicated that it may soon approve GlaxoSmithKline's obesity drug, Xenical, for over the counter (OTC) sales. Just yesterday morning, ACSH staffers were chewing the fat as to the prudence of such a move. On the one hand, why not make it easier to get a relatively safe and widely tested medicine that might help some people lose weight? Then again, maybe it's best to give those who need to lose weight every reason to see their physician, to be sure they are screened for diabetes and high blood pressure, to name just a couple of the dangers of obesity. Legitimate arguments can be made for and against selling Xenical OTC.
It's a good debate to have at this time, though, for at least two reasons:
1) we must consider the proper role of technology in the fight against obesity, and
2) it's always healthy to weigh the risks and benefits of pharmaceuticals.
But there's one argument that has no appropriate role in this debate -- and sure enough, it came from the mouth of anti-medicine activist Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of the Nader-inspired Public Citizen. Dr. Wolfe sought to bolster his petition against Xenical's OTC approval by telling USA Today that "Glaxo is seeking to make a fortune." How in the world is this hatred of pharmaceutical profits relevant to whether or not the FDA should allow an obesity drug to go OTC?
Indeed, Public Citizen wants to completely remove this potentially useful drug from the market, not just prevent it from getting OTC status. They ought to have a far better reason than that millions of people might be willing to pay for it.
Jeff Stier, Esq., is an associate director of the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH.org, HealthFactsAndFears.com).
