Alli: Drug Marketing Goes Viral
Alli (pronounced Ally) is the brand name for over-the-counter Xenical. While not yet approved - it may be very close. The brand is owned by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) who paid over $100 million for the US rights to Alli (the prescription version of Xenical is made by Roche).
The US diet industry is huge and the marketing for Alli has begun.
Alli will be a lower dosage (60mg) form of Xenical (Orlistat). The fat-blocking drug has it's supporters - as well as many anecdotal stories of "rear-end" problems (see the Xenical debate here).
GlaxoSmithKline is already using the viral marketing technique. Like so many other big brands, they have setup a seemingly innocuous website - QuestionEverything.com.
From the 'about' page:
QuestionEverything.com also supplies you with helpful insights and information on physical activity, fad diets, weight loss supplements, the internal and external challenges of dieting and healthy eating. Plus, you can take a break and play fun games designed to entertain and give you some food for thought.I'm sure many Xenical users have felt a 'rumbling beneath the surface' when they've eaten a fatty meal. But seriously, the website is nothing less than a vehicle for selling Alli.Can you feel a revolution coming? Feel it rumbling beneath the surface? The buzz is growing. People are talking about getting back to the basics of weight loss.
According the The Independent:
This (the GSK website) currently provides information and invites discussion on healthy lifestyles and existing dieting techniques, but when regulators give Alli the go-ahead, it will certainly start guiding them towards considering the product.

GSK is going to be really rich really fast on this one. Lots of people will buy it even though it's horrible stuff. There are other products that are out there though that have really bad effects...I knew a girl in college who would eat 3 or 4 doses of chocolated ExLax to purge and she told me that one time she couldn't make it to the restroom in time. Xenical is pretty harmless in it's own right...it just stops you from absorbing fat, but it's not that effective in the clinical dosages so I REALLY doubt it'll be effective as an OTC dose. I'm curious to see how it does on the market.
Replywhile the side effects sound a little scary, i bet if you follow the directions you will be okay. it wouldnt get approved if it was bad for ya right?
I checked out that questioneverything.com and it has some great information, they have a moderated message board that has some doctors and dieticians who read and actually post valuable information, and check out that snack attack game. that was fun.
ReplyI was on Xenical for a while. It's great as long as you don't mind oily stool and having accidents all the time! I hated it.
ReplySounds like the non-nutritive fats (the ones the body doesn't absorb) that got used for chips and such. I sat through a presentation by one of the people who did the trials and who said she was certain that the guys in them had underreported problems.
ReplyI've posted some there, I'm curious if the moderator will let my posts through or not. I suspect that they will censor them, even though they are clean posts, because they don't support the theme.
ReplyWell, my post on the Shangri-la diet was approved and is up.
ReplyI live in Puerto Rico and I'm trying to find out when the pill Alli can be find in here. I need to loose 110 pounds so I;m very ansious to try this pill. My phone number is 787-637-3050 if anybody can call me I will be more than happy to hear from you.
ReplyWell, I posted again. That board has gotten a little slow, though it is very slick.
I've lost sixty pounds, btw, on the shangri-law diet.
The only diet where they suggest you try it first and *then* buy the book. ;)
Stephen
Replyhttp://ethesis.blogspot.com/
When will Alli be on the market, and what places will carry it?
Replywhen and where an I purchase Alli
ReplyI saw on the news today!!!!! It's supposed to be out now! But where????
Replyi saw on the news to day all so were can you get alli
ReplyThis stuff is great. I can't wait for it to be on the market at a reduced price. I have taken it before and the side effects are not great, but you can loose a lot of weight fast with working out. Just be really close to the bathroom quickly and take an extra set of clothes with you at all times. I have twins 12 months ago and am having trouble loosing some baby weight, I am exstatic at this going on the market so I can afford it.
Replyyeah
plz could u tell me wherecan i find alli..and can i find it everywhere beside usa like xeinekal
ReplyWHERE AND WHEN CAN I BUY ALLI....????HOW MUCH
ReplyMe too! I went to gsk.com and signed up for email "info" on alli. Thw website is pretty cool, tells you how it works and all that. I am hoping they will email me and put me on the waiting listor at least tell me what stores get it first. The gsk says it will be out by summer...can't wait.
ReplyMe too ,I'll like to know when and where it will be . This sounds to good to be true.I think I'm going to try to buy stock in this product if it really works its going to go really high.(Interested) to know what the cost is . Please let me know.
ReplyI too signed up for email...A friend of mine told me however, if you eat ANYTHING with any kind of fat in it, well lookout...cuz you will potty your pants in a hurry. But what better way to control what you eat. I will buy it as soon as it comes out!!
ReplyDoesn't work. It does nothing to curb your appetite. To avoid accidents you have to eat a very low fat diet. If you do that, you will loose weight regardless. It eliminates 25% of the fat from your meal. If your meal is low fat, how many calories will this really account for? You are better off saving the money and cutting an extra 100 calories from you diet. The side effects are terrible. You don't want to be in a public place and then get this terrible urge to go. Buy extra undies - you'll be throwing out many pairs from the oil leaks. GROSS>
ReplyAt first I was very unhappy with Xenicals "leakage" problem. However I quickly learned to avoid overly fatty foods while taking it and to increase my fiber. Metamucil every morning did the trick and keeps my stools solid. When I wipe a small amount of oil turns up. No biggie at all. Its been an education and a great incentive because I know I am probably taking in a lot less calories, the calories I get are healthier, PLUS I get the benefits of the Xenical on the remaining (fatty) calories. Lost 20 lbs in 4 mos.
Replywhen will i beable to buy alli?
ReplyMy friend has been taking it for about 2-3 months and lost 25 lbs without exercise and she has NO side effects! I can't wait to try it!
ReplyHey guys found out on a web site today alli should be available in the stores in June 2007
ReplyWHERE CAN I BUY ALLI DIET PILL NOW
ReplyIt will be available in Krogers store this week and some next week, I work for a company that is going to reset the diet section and working Alli in.
Replyi believe some sam's club already have it in stock.
ReplyThe company I work for has partnered w/gsk to launch alli it will be avail June 24th in your local Wal-Mart stores.
ReplyI tried zenical a couple of years ago and I lost 10 pounds in 1 month. It was very expensive so I couldn't afford to buy it any more so I cann't wait until Alli becomes available. I got a pamplet in the mail yesterday about it. It will be in Walmart in June. No major side effects for me.
Replyyou can buy it in drugstore.com
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hi, good news the pills are supposed to be out this month. i have just called three pharmacies and they should have them on a week or so..
ReplyI took Xenical nearly three years ago, and lost over 40 pounds. With the proper diet and exercise the weight will come off right before your eyes. My only down fall was when I would eat foods with a lot of fat. Keep in mind I knew that I should watch my diet, but at the same time I knew the medication was blocking the fat. By eatting a lot of fat you would think you are having uncontrollable gas, but actually you are passing fat. Let me also add that it smells horrible, it leaves a horrible stain that is very difficult to remove, it runs, and it is very embarassing! If you ever feel as if you need to pass gas after you have been on the medication for at least a few days, please be sure to be in the comfort of a restroom for yoursake! Trust me when I tell you it is not cute! I beleive that everyone who takes this medication will have success if they have determination and the right attitude! What ever you do, do not give up and just take it one day at a time! Walk around your neighborhood a couple of times. Walk around your yard, or around your house. You will feel so much better, especially when you see the weight coming off! The medication is awesome! Get ready for the change of your life.
ReplyHey, I can't wait to get my hands on it! I like the metamucil tip...for keeping the stool solid....I would like to add...that a package of Huggies with you at all times will keep you freshened up!
ReplyI too am excited for this weight loss helper, however I am not going to jump on the wagon just yet. I am planning to wait a little longer, see what people's reactions are, then evaluate again in a month or so. This product was released TODAY nationwide in most pharmacy stores and comes in 60 and 90-day supplies.
People, please be careful! Just because it is FDA approved does NOT mean that in a few years or so, they won't come back and pull it from the shelves saying it causes some sort of cancer. Just playing the Devil's Advocate here. Nothing beats excercise and a healthy diet, always keep that in mind.
Replyive seen the product at costco and it cost $67.00 about 70 with tax. i hope this pill will help, i was suppose to buy it but ill wait until im sure that it really works!
ReplyXenical (Orlistat) is awesome stuff!! I was on for a few months a couple of years ago.
ReplyThere are NO side effects UNLESS you over do it on fats! You'll know too ... there's no escaping the "hot sausage grease" you leave BEHIND. LOL
There ARE side-effects if you don't absorb enough fats. The body needs fat for many processes. I believe this is why one of the reported side-effects in clinical studies has been irregular menstural periods. Read: Hormonal disruption. You might also not absorb those vitamins and minerals that are fat-soluble.
Humans grew big brains from increased fat content in their diets. Hunters eating animal fat. This pill is therefore DEVO. And, with long-term use, we will see cases of malnutrition.
Where do sign up now?
ReplyThat's true, I think studies have suggested that those early humans who lived on shorelines with seafood as their primary protein sourse had the largest brains.
ReplyI've tried Alli for the last week, following the instructions and have not had one single side effect, I feel completely normal.
ReplyYou have to follow a low fat diet , yes, so you would be losing weight anyway, but what the drug is supposed to do is enhance the loss. You can't expect the drug to do all the work for you, we have to change our eating habits too, that's why we got fat in the first place!
I'll pass on the Alli and stay with the phentermine. Don't like them sudden "CODE BROWNS"
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