By Ahmed Aboulenein
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Current laws and regulations are not enough to protect Americans from the risks of compounded versions of popular weight-loss drugs, especially those purchased online, the outgoing Food Administration commissioner said on Thursday. and Drugs of America, Robert Califf.
The sale of these drugs would be less of a problem if the price of the original drugs were not so high, Califf told reporters at a media roundtable.
“I'm very concerned about the Internet composites industry. I'm sure some of them are very high quality, but it's very difficult, if you're ordering things on the Internet, to know exactly what you're getting.” said Califf, who will leave the agency once incoming President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
“If the price of these drugs weren't so high, it wouldn't be such a big problem.”
Weight-loss medications from Novo Nordisk (NYSE and Eli Lilly (NYSE ) can cost more than $1,000 for a month's supply, while compounded versions typically cost a few hundred dollars.
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