American authorities suspect that a medication Xenical (orlistat) prescribed for the treatment of obesity can damage liver cells.

Recently Orlistat the commercial name of prescription drug Xenical has been approved for over-the-counter sales. Orlistat prevents the activity of the enzymes which break down lipids (fats) in the gastrointestinal tract. Unsplit lipids are not absorbed into the blood circulation and therefore are eliminated out of the organism naturally (with faeces). It is believed that Xenical does not cause any serious side effects because it acts only in the intestine and is not absorbed into the blood circulation.

Recently US Food and Drug Administration received more than 30 complaints to the fact that orlistat causes serious liver damage. In some cases there were reported cases of hepatic failure, in other jaundice and pain in the liver area were common after application of Orlistat products like Xenical or Alli. However, the official manufacturer of Alli pharmaceutical corporation GlaxoSmithKline and the manufacturer of Xenical - La Roche refuse to admit these complaints.

Full Article: Xenical and Alli can cause liver damage