Abbott Laboratories' obesity drug sibutramine has been temporarilywithdrawn from the market in Italy, where it is sold as Reductil (by Abbott), Ectiva (by Bracco) and Reduxade (by GlaxoSmithKline), on safety concerns. The move follows one death and a number of other adverse reactions in patients taking sibutramine, and a Ministry of Health re-assessment of the drug's risk/benefit ratio is now ongoing.
Abbott said that sibutramine is registered in more than 70 countries, adding that it has continued to routinely monitor its safety profile and provide semi-annual safety updates to regulatory authorities throughout Europe. "Based on these reports, there has been no substantial change to the risk/benefit profile of the drug," said the firm in a statement.
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