FDA targets GMP Herbal Products over weight-loss dietary supplement

WESTMINSTER, Calif. The Food and Drug Administration moved against another online marketer purporting to sell a dietary supplement weight-loss product last week.

The company, GMP Herbal Products, was informed by the FDA that Pai You Guo, its weight loss dietary supplement that is sold and marketed by the firm online contains undeclared drug ingredients, including sibutramine, an FDA-approved drug used as an appetite suppressant for weight loss, and phenolphthalein, a solution used in chemical experiments and a suspected cancer-causing agent that is not approved for marketing in the United States.

The FDA advises that these products pose a threat to consumers because sibutramine is known to substantially increase blood pressure and/or pulse rate in some patients, and may present a significant risk for patients with a history of coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias or stroke.

Consumers are advised to destroy the products or return them to GMP Herbal Products.