Orlistat (marketed under the trade name Xenical by Roche; or over-the-counter as alli by GlaxoSmithKline (pronounced /ˈælaɪ/, like the English word "ally")—also known as tetrahydrolipstatin—is a drug designed to treat obesity. Its primary function is preventing the absorption of fats from the human diet, thereby reducing caloric intake. It is intended for use in conjunction with a physician-supervised reduced-calorie diet.Orlistat is the saturated derivative of lipstatin—a potent natural inhibitor of pancreatic lipases isolated from the bacterium Streptomyces toxytricini. However, due to simplicity and stability, orlistat rather than lipstatin was developed into an anti-obesity drug.

The Alii diet pill itself is a reduced strength version of the prescription weight loss drug Xenical (also known as Orlistat) which has an impressive safety record, and encouraging clinical trial results. In the original trials of Xenical .

GlaxoSmithKline has launched a $150 million promotion campaign for its over-the-counter (OTC) weight loss drug, Alli. But not all media coverage is up-beat about what is a lower-dose version of Roche's prescription only drug, Xenical. Consumers might find themselves $50 poorer, with explosive diarrhea.

With the launch of the upcoming diet product Alli from GlaxoSmithKline, many retailers and online merchants are getting ready for the planned $150 million dollar ad blitz that is planned for the weight loss drug. Alli is a lower dose version of Xenical, which is a prescription diet drug made and sold by Roche.

A lower dose version of the prescription drug Xenical. "Alli" is a fat blocker and it has been approved for over the counter sales starting mid June. Side effects? Does it work?

An amazing medical weight loss drug sold by GlaxoSmithKline called Xenical was recently approved by the FDA as the first over the counter weight loss product. The Alli diet pill is a a half strength dosage of the Xenical (Orlistat) drug. Alli will be available as a 60mg pill, while Xenical will continue to be sold at 120mg.