Vanguard Neurologist

More than 25 weight loss pills sold in the U.S. as dietary supplements contain drugs that aren’t disclosed on the label and can harm consumers, regulators said.

The products, sold under names including Venom Hyperdrive 3.0, Slimtech and 3 Day Diet, may cause high blood pressure, seizures, heart attacks or strokes, the Food and Drug Administration said today in a statement. The products illegally contain drugs that must be sold by prescription, and in some cases the pills contain medicines that haven’t been approved in the U.S., the FDA said.

Some products that claim to be “natural” or contain only herbal ingredients actually include a drug used for seizures or a solution used in chemical experiments that can cause cancer, according to the agency. The FDA is seeking to have the diet pills pulled from the market and may take additional steps, such as seizing them or pursuing criminal charges, according to the statement.

“These tainted weight loss products pose a great risk to public health because they contain undeclared ingredients and, in some cases, contain prescription drugs in amounts that greatly exceed their maximum recommended dosages,” said Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s drug division, in the statement. “Consumers have no way of knowing that these products contain powerful drugs that could cause serious health consequences.”

Active Ingredient

Rimonabant, an ingredient found in the products, isn’t approved for sale in the U.S. In Europe, where it is approved, the drug has been associated with increased risk of depression and suicidal thoughts, and has been linked to five deaths and 720 side effects during the past two years, according to the FDA.

Some of the pills contain sibutramine, an ingredient in an approved prescription drug for obesity, at more than three times the recommended daily dose, according to the FDA.

The FDA wouldn’t identify the manufacturers, and they aren’t always listed on the label, said Michael Levy, director of the division of new drugs and labeling compliance in the FDA’s drug division, in an interview.

Rimonabant is found in Sanofi-Aventis SA’s Acomplia, approved in Europe in 2006. Following the request of European health authorities who cited side effects, the Paris-based company suspended sales in October.