Acting for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Marshalls seized dietary supplements that were tainted from the Hollywood, Florida firm Globe All Wellness LLC.
The FDA Office of Compliance director Howard Sklamberg said a number of the products that were seized contain the active ingredient sibutramine hydrochloride that is found in Meridia the obesity drug.
Meridia was taken out of market in the U.S. back in December of 2010 after data from clinical trials demonstrated the medication increased the possibility of a stroke and heart attack.
Globe All was marketing its products claiming its products would lower cholesterol and the blood pressure amongst other things. Under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, any products that offer that use are considered drugs, since their intention is for diagnosing, curing, mitigating, treating and preventing a disease, said the FDA.
The products from Globe All, said FDA officials, are drugs not yet approved by the regulatory agency for the uses the company is claiming. The officials said companies are not just breaking the law when distributing products that contain undisclosed drugs, but they are putting users at risk.
The seized products included SlimXtreme Gold, SlimXtreme, SlimLee, SlimPlus, SlimDrops, GelSlim and Colonew.
To date there has been no reports of any serious side effects or illnesses related to using the products. However, any illnesses or severe side effects should be reported to the U.S. FDA.
The FDA has a hotline named MedWatch 1-800-FDA-1088 or online.
