A decision by the European Commission opens access to a treatment that could help in the battle against overweight and obesity.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the pharmaceutical company, has received a non-prescription licence for alli (orlistat 60mg), making it the first time the European Commission has approved a non-prescription product for weight loss.

The centrally approved marketing authorisation means GSK can now introduce alli for adults with a body mass index of 28 kg/m2 or more, in all 27 EU countries, including Malta. Plans are underway to launch alli in the coming months.

Monica Abdilla, country manager for GSK Consumer Healthcare Malta said: “In the US, alli has successfully helped millions of users lose weight gradually and steadily, and adopt a healthy lifestyle. The opportunity to create similar success in Europe comes as good news and we will be launching alli in pharmacies throughout Malta soon.”

Clinical trials show that alli, when used in conjunction with a reduced calorie, lower-fat diet, can help people lose 50 per cent more weight than by dieting alone. So for every two kilos lost by dieting alone, alli could help them lose one more. It works by stopping some of the fat eaten being absorbed into the body and turning into extra kilos.

Leading European obesity expert Prof. Stephan Jacob from the Cardio-Metabolic Institute, Germany, said: “Research has shown that consumers are spending millions of euros each year on fat diets, unproven ‘miracle pills’ and potentially unsafe weight-loss supplements, often without any scientific evidence to back them up. By making a licensed non-prescription product available, consumers will have the option of a proven therapy which can support them with their struggle for weight loss. For many, losing weight can become the catalyst to improvements in their overall health and self-esteem.”