Roche is spitting mad that Australia banned consumer ads for its Xenical diet pill, which is sold OTC in that country, and claims the government is hypocritical for allowing ads for all sorts of ‘hocus pocus.’

The government acted last week after the drugmaker ran ads during a TV show that’s typically watched by many young girls, and cited concerns over ‘insufficient public-health benefits’ and pressure on pharmacists to sell the pill to all comers.

Roche executive Fred Nadjarian told The Australian said the ban was inconsistent as “products with dubious ingredients largely based on green tea extract, eye of newt, wing of bat and guinea pig tail can be (advertised)”.

Yes, but does wing of bat cause oily stool?
[tags]Diet Pills, DTC, OTC, Xenical[/tags]