Jim Edwards, over at BNet, has noticed a change of tone in GSK’s blog for weight loss drug Alli.
Why does a drug need a blog anyway?
Sold as Xenical in Australia, Alli is a fairly notorious drug; it last made news here in 2006 when Xenical advertising run during Australian Idol was criticised for targeting teenage girls. A complaint from Choice Magazine very nearly cost the drug its over-the-counter status, and the TGA revoked Roche’s ability to advertise the drug direct to the consumer in Australia.
The marketer of the over-the-counter version of the drug in the US, GlaxoSmithKilne, have a blog devoted to the “wonders” of the drug. As Edwards points out, a change in sales management has lead to a very a distinct change of tone; away from a chatty style with a focus on health and nutrition (albeit with a strong sideline in “buy our drug”), and on to a much more aggressive “if you’re fat and ugly (you know—anything larger than a size 10), you’ll feel better if you take our drug.”
From a sales perspective, Xenical clearly has a problem – worldwide sales of around $40 million last quarter won’t even cover the advertising budget for the drug, let alone repay the substantial development costs.
That’s probably got a fair bit to do with the drug’s notorious “treatment” effects. Xenical works by blocking the absorption of fat in the stomach—so if the fat doesn’t get absorbed into the body…well…GSK advises you to wear dark pants when on the drug, and to keep a spare set of clothes around “just in case”.
Also, in order to avoid the unpleasant side-effects, you’re supposed to minimise your intake of fat while taking the drug (what doesn’t go in your mouth can’t stain your pants), which makes you wonder why they don’t save themselves and their poor customers some money and just replace the bloody thing with a sugar pill and a slightly different set of lies…
It will be interesting to see if the blog’s change in tone heralds a change in the marketing strategy across the board. I’m sure we all hope that the exciting new strategy of insulting women and their fat friends will lift sales of the drug for the asshats that sell it.
My wife tried Xenical (she needed to lose weight on health, not fashion, grounds) and found it quite effective, just not in the way the makers claim. She says it’s simple behaviouralism – eating any fat quickly gets associated with unpleasantness. I reckon Clockwork Orange style electric shocks would be kinder.
There’s no way it should be available over the counter, though. There are too many people neurotic about food as it is.
Sounds crude, but effective … could do the same thing for smoking? When you gave up, and took them as a no-return insurance policy, you’d only bust once I reckon.
I dunno… Here in Australia “low-fat” seems to have been elevated to a miraculous status whereas people seem to pay very little attention to the sugar content of anything! Therefore, I am constantly seeing “low-fat snacks” in the supermarket aisles the packaging of which doesn’t mention that the product is 90% sugar (but that’s OK, it’s not fat, innit?!), the same goes for the “low fat” version of things like yoghurt – they just taste like sweet syrup. then there are the RIDICULOUS examples of things like marshmallows and jelly sweets which were never meant to be marketed as health food, with “99% fat free!!!” on the packet. Of course they’re fat free – they’re made of sugar!
I think a lot of the people buying the “low fat” or “fat free” stuff would be better off with a dollop of lovely plain full fat yoghurt, for instance, instead of a hideously sweet sugary carton of flavoured “low fat” yoghurt. And so on.
Well put, Helen. There is a lot of solid science behind what you say and I would even go further.The ‘low fat but high sugar’ fad you have noted may actually be making things worse – not only is it less tasty but it’s harmful. Low carb diets have been found to be superior to low fat diets. This article is worth reading in full. Cut out refined carbs (which are not that tasty anyway – which would you rather have – bread or bacon?) and enjoy all the fat you want – eat tasty and eat well.
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/diet_and_fitness/article4523487.ece
But some choice bits here:
I might add my wife’s regime did include a low GI approach – as, to be fair, Xenical’s makers advise in their blurb.
low carb is the whole idea behind the atkins diet, right?
you still have to cut out trans fats and lower the consumption of saturated fats though. and salt. and alcohol. and smoking. and cholesterol.
I’m not actually advocating a low carb diet which would be counterproductive to someone like me with a family history of colon cancer. I loves me carbs, rice, pasta mmmmm! I just don’t kid myself that a goopy mixture of fruit flavouring and corn syrup is good for me just because it contains very little “fat”.
I just can’t understand why anyone would ruin perfectly good yoghurt by removing all its fat, then adding fruit.