The drug is set to hit shelves next month. But many people won't have to wait
until June to get their hands on it,despite the fact it is prescription only.
The boom in online pharmacies and web-based drug sales has meant that in a few
clicks of a mouse you can have access to a number of pills that, if their
claims are to be believed, could do pretty much anything, from whittling your
waist size to ridding you of body hair.
Some of these drugs are prescription only, others may not even be licensed in
this country, but if you're willing to pay, there's an unscrupulous dealer
willing to sell.
Alli, in the form of Xenical or Orlistat, has been readily available on the
internet for some time. It works by inhibiting the absorption of fat so that
about 30 per cent of the fat you eat is passed through the body undigested.
Prescribed by a doctor, who can explain that it needs to be taken in
conjunction with a low-fat diet, it has the potential to be a useful and
effective drug.
When Alli arrives in chemists in June, pharmacists will be able to give users
the correct information on how to take it.
But online buyers obviously won't have access to this advice and so may think
it gives them carte blanche to eat what they like and still lose weight.
They run the risk of, at the very least, suffering a number of unpleasant
gastrointestinal side-effects.
But these risks don't seem to deter a growing number of people who think that
illicitly acquired drugs could offer a nopain, all-gain route to the body
beautiful. Xenical is only one of a number of drugs being used and abused in
this way.
Last week, the Mail revealed that a number of 'diet' drugs were being bought
over the internet. From Ritalin - usually prescribed for hyperactive children,
which has the side-effect of suppressing the appetite, but has also been linked
to cardio-vascular damage - to clenbuterol, a drug used to treat breathing
problems in horses, which has also been found to increase metabolic rate and
cause fat loss and muscle gain.
However, users can experience dizziness, palpitations and severe heart damage.
That there should be serious dangers associated with taking these wonder drugs
should come as no surprise. History shows that no quick fix comes without a
downside.
The 'slimming pills' popular in the Sixties turned out to be amphetamines,
which carried the risk of heart damage and blood pressure problems, while the
tanning pills of the Seventies relied on beta carotene, which gave rise to
orange palms and discoloured eyes.
And the anabolic steroids taken by body-builders to increase the size and
strength of their muscles have been found to contribute to high blood pressure,
cholesterol and hormone levels.
But despite these cautionary tales, we seem as devoted as ever to the prospect
of a one-stop beauty solution.
Women reluctant to go under the knife but keen to increase their breast size
have been known to order contraceptive pills, containing high levels of
hormones, in a bid to boost their cleavage.
The dangers of taking a contraceptive without having your blood pressure tested
regularly means you could unwittingly be putting yourself at an increased risk
of strokes, heart attacks and deep vein thrombosis. Quite a price to pay for a
larger cup size or two.
Earlier this month, health and beauty pages were full of the news of a new
wonder drug that would boost the female sex drive and suppress appetite.
The snappily named Type 2 Gonadotropin-releasing hormone has thus far been
tested only on animals, but researchers behind it have no doubt it could be
readily available as a human 'lifestyle' drug within the next decade.
All very exciting, but as fans of the underground vanity pill scene know only
too well, you don't necessarily have to wait ten years to get thin and sexy.
Perhaps the most exciting development for pill-poppers in pursuit of the body
beautiful is the new and widespread availability of a drug called Melanotan II.
News of it first hit several years ago and it was the subject of much public
interest after it was dubbed 'The Barbie Pill' by the media.
The drug, a synthetically produced hormone, was developed by researchers at the
University of Arizona to combat skin cancer - it worked by increasing the
levels of melanin, which is the body's natural sun protection system.
In the course of research, it was discovered that side-effects included
increased libido and reduced appetite. For some, it really did sound like a
miracle pill.
However, Melanotan II was not a simple pill. It's a hormone, which means it
can't be swallowed, as the chemicals in the gut would destroy it.
It can, however, be introduced into the body through an implant under the skin
or via an injection.
It has not yet been approved by the FDA in the US, nor is it a licensed drug in
Britain. But this doesn't mean it's not easily available.
Several websites around the world, including one in the UK, sell Melanotan II
and give users detailed instructions on how to dissolve the drug in water and
inject it.
Aside from all the dangers inherent in untrained people stabbing needles into
themselves, there are other risks.
Fans say they are delighted with the results they have achieved, but a closer
inspection of internet forums where users discuss their experiences with the
drug reveal some worrying stories.
Alongside the potential sideeffects of nausea and flushing, some users are
reporting that existing moles and freckles become darker, and that new moles
and freckles also form.
Could it be that a product developed to tackle skin cancer might actually cause
it? The honest answer is that we just don't know.
Mark Birch-Machin, professor of molecular dermatology at the University of
Newcastle upon Tyne, thinks that the original study into what the drug is
capable of has some merit, but stresses that our knowledge of its application
and its side-effects is patchy.
"Melanotan II hasn't been around long enough for us to be able to look at the
long-term effects this hormone could have on the body," he says.
"And taking any drug that hasn't been extensively trialled will always have its
potential dangers."
He also cautions any redheads who think this could turn them into a bronzed
beauty to think again.
"This works by stimulating the brown pigment in the skin. If you have very pale
skin, your body may not contain any of this brown pigment at all, so it simply
may not work," he says.
Once you've bronzed, slimmed and boosted your bust with pharmaceutical help,
you would have thought there was nothing left to do. You'd be wrong.
Earlier this year, a new cream called Vaniqa was launched as Britain's first
prescription drug for removing unwanted hair. While this, too, should be used
only after being prescribed by a doctor, it is also available over the
internet.
On the surface it sounds innocuous. After all, you've been able to buy Veet in
Boots for years. But Vaniqa doesn't just simply dissolve hair; it actually
works on enzymes in the hair follicles to stop them growing.
This is why it is classified as a drug, not a cosmetic, and should be available
only on prescription.
"Vaniqa is meant for removing facial hair, but there are all sorts of medical
reasons why a woman might have this problem in the first place," says Dr Graham
Archand, vice-chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners and a GP.
"It's important to see a doctor to rule out any potentially serious conditions,
rather than just tackling a symptom.
"Furthermore, drugs can interact with other medication or cause problems with
the liver and kidneys that, if you are not under medical supervision, you may
be unaware of."
And that's the bottom line. If a drug isn't available over the counter or is
not licensed in this country, there's probably a very good reason for that.
"Prescription medicines aren't available over the counter because they are
potentially dangerous. And if a drug is not licensed, it's because it's been
shown to be dangerous or there's inadequate trial data to show it works," says
Dr Archand.
"It's possible that in the future research will prove these drugs should be
licensed or available without prescription."
The reverse, of course, is also true. Future research may highlight serious and
dangerous problems that mean these drugs will never be licensed or freely
available over the counter.
Until we know the truth, people seeking a beauty drug could end up paying a
high price for vanity.
