[Pharmacy-clinics medication of the month. Orlistate (xenical)]

Orlistat (tetrahydrolipstatin), launched by Roche under the trade name Xenical, is a selective inhibitor of pancreatic and gastro-intestinal lipases. It reduces the digestion of dietary fat and its resorption through digestive mucosa by around 30%. It is indicated, at a dose of 3 x 120 mg/day (one dose with each meal) and together with a moderately low-calorie and low-fat diet, for the treatment of obesity. It has been shown, in placebo-controlled two-year trials, to almost double the number of obese subjects who succeed in loosing at least 10% of initial body weight. Independently, it contributes to decrease serum cholesterol levels by 6-10%. Because of its mechanism of action, this drug can induce intestinal side-effects which tend to decrease with time and with the reduction of fat intake, thus improving diet compliance.