Public warned on illegal Xenical

Public warned on illegal Xenical

JAKARTA (JP): PT Roche Indonesia has warned customers that
Xenical, its antiobesity drug, is being sold on the black market
without a registration number from the Ministry of Health and is
being imported through illegal channels.

In a statement made available to The Jakarta Post, the company
said that Xenical, which is produced by Roche Switzerland for
patients with a body mass index (BMI) equal to or more than 30
with associated risk factors, should be obtained only with a
doctor's prescription at a pharmacy and must be stored under
refrigerated conditions. It should be taken under medical
supervision and in conjunction with a proper weight management
program.

BMI is a weight indicator measured by dividing weight (in
kilograms) with the square of height (in meters). Obese is a BMI
of 30 or more.

"PT Roche Indonesia cannot be held responsible for the quality
and origin of the illegal product and therefore warns people
against purchasing it," the statement said.

The marketing of the illegal drug violates Law No. 23 on
health.