The Department of Health announced today the de-registration of pharmaceutical products containing sibutramine as recommended by the Registration Committee of the Pharmacy & Poisons Board.
Wholesalers should immediately stop selling or distributing sibutramine-containing products and recall them from the market, while doctors and pharmacies should stop prescribing or dispensing them and return any stock to wholesalers.
The Sibutramine Cardiovascular Outcomes study recorded a higher rate of heart attack and stroke in obese and overweight patients using sibutramine than in those managing their weight through exercise and diet alone.
The committee's decision was made after taking into consideration findings from the study, the use of the product in Hong Kong, and the regulatory actions in other international regulatory agencies.
Abbott Lab withdrew the registration of four products containing sibutramine in Hong Kong and initiated a recall of the products last month.
There are still 45 sibutramine-containing products registered by 20 companies in Hong Kong. Sibutramine has been suspended or withdrawn from use on the Mainland, Canada, the EU, Singapore, and the US.
