FDA Warns of Counterfeit Alli Weight-Loss Drug

A warning is out for people looking to buy a popular weight loss product on the cheap.

The FDA and GlaxoSmithKline say fake versions of the diet drug Alli have ended up on online auction sites.

The fake ones are 60-mg, 120-count refill packs only.

Here's how GlaxoSmithKline says you can tell if you have a counterfeit product:

• The seal on the bottle should read "sealed for your protection" in white ink.

• This statement isn't on the fake product.

• The capsule size is slightly larger in the counterfeit and the contents inside are different.

• The counterfeit content is powdery while the genuine product is more of a pellet shape.

• The lot code information is missing from the top of the fake version's box, and the fake's expiration date includes a day. The authentic Alli expiration date includes only the month and year.

Tests performed by GlaxoSmithKline show these fake pills don't contain Alli's FDA approved active ingredient orlistat.

Instead, they contain a controlled substance called sibutramine -- which the FDA says isn't for everyone, needs doctor supervision and can dangerously interact with other drugs.

Consumers who suspect they have the counterfeit Alli should contact the FDA's office of criminal investigations at 1-800-551-3989.