Alli vs The Fill Pill

As we all know the obesity market has seen some weird and wonderful ideas to encourage weight loss, some being based upon exercise routines, other on pills and others on more straight forward diets.  While Alli continues to make great headway in the market, after the recent over the counter (OTC) approval from the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Italian scientists have introduced a new “fill pill” into the mix.  Let us take a look at how each treatment works, and see which one may be best for you:- 

Alli

As most people will be aware from the masses of media coverage about the recent launch of Alli, the treatment works by slowing down the production of certain enzymes in the body.  These are the enzymes which allow the body to transform fatty food content in to fatty acid which can be easily absorbed into the body.

The very fact that Alli immediately reduces the body’s production of these enzymes means that there is a 30% reduction in the amount of fat being absorbed into the body.  Less fat absorption means less weight gain, and against even a normal lifestyle, the patient would immediately begin to lose weight.  The user would be burning up the same amount of energy within the body, but there would be less fatty content to replace the “spent” energy.

Unfortunately, there are some small side effects from the use of Alli which centre around the body’s need to flush out the unabsorbed fatty food content.  This is passed through the body via the normal channels, but it can effect a persons stools, often making them more oily.  The pill has also been known to lead to sudden and unexpected bowel movements which can be a little embarrassing in everyday life.

However, the distributors of the drug, GlaxoSmithkine have also researched how the side effects can be reduced to a more acceptable level.  They strongly recommend that people using Alli should reduce the fat content of any meals to a level of no more than 15g per serving.  This will immediately reduce the fatty intake through the body, therefore reducing what is actually passed through the system.

Over the last few months there has been much speculation and hype about the treatment, with many suggesting that this is the new wonder drug, the drug which will have a serious impact of the average weight of the world.  While some observers have got a little carried away, the drug offers a new and relatively risk free way to immediately reduce the fatty intake into the body.

The fact that the drug was approved for over the counter sale by the FDA has also gone down very well with the pubic.  Sales of the treatment have been sky high, far beyond the greatest expectation of GlaxoSmithkline.  Currently on sale in the US, the treatment should soon be on sale in many other areas of the world - with may governments heartened by the approval of the FDA, the first time they have approved a weight loss treatment for over the counter sales.

GlaxoSithline are forecasting that the drug will bring in revenues in excess of $1 billion a year worldwide, once the roll out has been completed.  While the rest of the industry begins looking for the next big competitor to Alli, many obesity sufferers are enjoying the best times of their lives.

The “Fill Pill”

Over the last few days we have seen reports of a new obesity drug which is currently being researched in Italy.  The treatment is a little bizarre in that it centres around a pill which is made of a highly absorbent material (likened to a baby’s nappy) which has the ability to take on board liquid and grow to the size of a tennis ball.  How does this help you may wonder?

The researches have found that by taking the tablet approximately 30 minutes before your meal, this will give the tablet time to settle in your stomach and absorb some of the fluids in the body.  By the time mealtime comes around the tablet will have grown to the size of a tennis ball, filing the stomach and giving the “patient” a feeling of “fullness”, thereby having an immediate impact upon the amount of food eaten.

While much of the detail about the treatment is still rather sketchy, there has been no real explanation about :-

• how the enlarged pill will be passed through the body.
• the potential for choking, should the tablet get stuck in someone’s throat.
• the potential for the “tennis ball” to absorb healthy nutrients and vitamins which the body needs.
• any potential long term side effects.

This is not the first treatment to use the basis of enlarging an element inside the body, thereby giving an earlier feeling of “fullness”, and reducing the intake of food.  It is however the only such treatment which has been linked to a tablet. There are many observers who are not convinced about the likelihood that the treatment will ever make it to market, due to some of the more obvious concerns  Trials are continuing in Rome and we expect to hear further details in due course.

Conclusion on Alli Vs Fill Pills

While the idea of enlarging the stomach by using a tablet is fairly ground breaking, there are major concerns about the safety of the treatment.  To actually ingest something which has been designed to stay within your body - after enlarging  - is a fairly radical idea. 

While it is still very early days for the “fill pill” many market observers are even now questioning how far the trials will go, with a number not expecting the treatment to ever make it to the market.  There is therefore little short term likelihood that a competitor to Alli will arrive on the market, and it seems that the sales explosion over the last few weeks may be set to continue for some time yet.

General feedback with regard to Alli has been very positive since launch, and GlaxoSmithkline see no reason why this should change.