Karnataka drugs control department has ordered to stop the production
and sales of sibutramine, R-sibutramine and their formulations in the
state. The orders were issued last week following a note from the Drugs
Controller General of India.

Dr BR Jagashetty, Karnataka Drugs
Controller said,” we already intimated the pharma companies and the
pharmacy trade outlets to refrain from production and sale of this drug
sibutramine for anti obesity”.

In Karnataka, a leading player
which is in engaged in the production of sibutramine is Micro Labs. The
company markets the formulation a mono-therapy for weight management by
its diabetic division. “We have been marketing this product for the last
4-5 years. Now following the order we have made arrangements to stop
production and sales”, G Jayraj, senior, vice president, Micro Labs told
Pharmabiz.

According to medical experts, sibutramine does not
contain amphetamine. The drug was known to induce satiety because of
its primary and secondary 'amine metabolites'. It was prescribed for
weight loss and maintenance of weight loss with reduced calorie diet,

In India around 2.2 crore people suffer from obesity. The anti-obesity market in India is valued at Rs.75 crore. Leading players in the country include Sun Pharma, Cadila, Cipla, Glenmark, Torrent, Dr Reddy's, Ranbaxy and Intas.

Pharmabiz
had reported earlier that change in lifestyle, inability to lose weight
in spite of best efforts in diet and exercise has increased patients
demand for an alternative. Surgery is prescribed for those who are
morbidly obese and it provides long term weight loss. Post surgery,
patients have been able to do away with most of the diabetes and
hypertensive medications as well as avoid joint replacement surgeries
after the weight loss. A study has indicated that 95 per cent of
patients no longer needed medications for diabetes, 92 per cent stopped
drugs for hypertension and 82 per cent patients found relief from joint
pain.