Are Nonprescription Medications Needed for Weight Control?
George A. BrayObesity 16, 566–571 (2008)Following the print publication of this article, the author noted that an acknowledgment of intellectual and financial support from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) was inadvertently omitted (1). The basis for this omission is described below and the acknowledgment made. About 5 years ago, Roche asked me whether I wanted to consult on their proposal to switch orlistat from a prescription to an over-the-counter (OTC) product. Following the withdrawal of phenylpropanolamine by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there were no OTC compounds for weight loss available to the public, only “herbal medications” which had little or no testing. Being a firm believer in availability of safe medications for use by the public, I accepted the offer and duly met with the Company and the FDA. The FDA laid out the plan of what was needed for a prescription to OTC switch. Roche then either sold or licensed orlistat to GSK to market as the OTC pill now called “Alli.” GSK
