Updated: 10/18/2013 09:57 | By Channel NewsAsia
Health alert on illegal slimming drug
SINGAPORE: The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has warned that OxyELITE Pro, which is sold as a fat burner overseas, has been linked to numerous cases of liver injuries in the United States and one in Hong Kong.
In a statement on October 18, HSA says OxyELITE Pro is a medicinal product, and it is not approved for sale in Singapore.
HSA says the product is sold illegally through the Internet in Singapore, and some may have bought the product from overseas.
HSA warns that while OxyELITE Pro is labelled as a dietary supplement that contains herbal extracts, it actually contains two potent medicinal substances that are not allowed in supplements sold locally.
The authority found the two substances -- 1,3-dimethylamylamine (DMAA) and yohimbine -- in capsules of the product that it obtained from an Internet seller.
It says health products containing such substances need to be registered as medicinal products as they can cause serious adverse effects when taken without medical supervision.
The authority is carrying out investigations to find out if there are other such substances in the product.
Turning to cases of health problem with the product, the statement says the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently reported 29 cases of acute non-viral hepatitis or liver injury in Hawaii.
Although the actual cause of the liver injuries has not been identified, investigations have found that 24 of these cases were associated with the use of OxyELITE Pro.
Eleven of the 29 cases have been hospitalised with acute liver injury, two of these cases have resulted in liver transplants and one person has died from complication of liver injuries.
Common symptoms of liver injuries reported by the patients include loss of appetite, jaundice, dark urine and light-coloured stools.
HSA warns sellers to stop sales and distribution of OxyELITE Pro.
It warns that anyone caught selling unregistered medicinal products may be fined up to S$10,000 and jailed for up to two years.
- CNA/fa
