ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Sulaimani has banned the sale of a weight loss pill after the US issued a warning about the product.
"Upon a proposal from the US Food and Drug Administration, the use of AB Slim capsule was prohibited," Dr. Pshtiwan Gharib told Rudaw in Sulaimani.
The pills “contain a lot of dangerous substances such as sibutramine, making the user of the drug addicted to it. In addition to that, it contains two more dangerous substances which damage the heart and mind,” he added.
AB Care markets its product as a 100 percent natural supplement and promises extreme weight loss. It says it was awarded a gold medal in the UAE for quality and is the fastest-selling such product in Lebanon.
Sulaimani banned the pills after a similar move by the Iraqi government.
“The sale of the capsule is prohibited now in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region,” he explained, adding that they will begin confiscating the product.
"There is definitely a significant amount of this type of pill at the pharmacies and other public places," he said.
Sibutramine was banned in the US in October 2010. The FDA said it increases blood pressure and heart rate, and may be a risk for people with a history of heart disease or stroke.
Phenolphthalein, also present in AB Slim, may cause cancer.
Rudaw’s Ranj Sangawi focused a media campaign on counterfeit medication in the Kurdistan Region. Social awareness from his program prompted Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani to issue a set of strict measures to regulate the sale and import of medicines. Since then, hundreds of tons of spoiled and counterfeit medication have been eliminated.
"Upon a proposal from the US Food and Drug Administration, the use of AB Slim capsule was prohibited," Dr. Pshtiwan Gharib told Rudaw in Sulaimani.
The pills “contain a lot of dangerous substances such as sibutramine, making the user of the drug addicted to it. In addition to that, it contains two more dangerous substances which damage the heart and mind,” he added.
AB Care markets its product as a 100 percent natural supplement and promises extreme weight loss. It says it was awarded a gold medal in the UAE for quality and is the fastest-selling such product in Lebanon.
Sulaimani banned the pills after a similar move by the Iraqi government.
“The sale of the capsule is prohibited now in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region,” he explained, adding that they will begin confiscating the product.
"There is definitely a significant amount of this type of pill at the pharmacies and other public places," he said.
Sibutramine was banned in the US in October 2010. The FDA said it increases blood pressure and heart rate, and may be a risk for people with a history of heart disease or stroke.
Phenolphthalein, also present in AB Slim, may cause cancer.
Rudaw’s Ranj Sangawi focused a media campaign on counterfeit medication in the Kurdistan Region. Social awareness from his program prompted Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani to issue a set of strict measures to regulate the sale and import of medicines. Since then, hundreds of tons of spoiled and counterfeit medication have been eliminated.
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