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.