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Fears over Lipostabil: the latest fat loss miracle drug
John Litchfield
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Lipostabil, also known as the Flab Jab, is currently yet to
receive a licence for cosmetic purposes in the UK due to a
lack of clinical testing and concerns over its safety.
Lipostabil is licensed in Germany as a treatment for fat embolisms,
where blood vessels become blocked by fat particles. However,
it has been discovered that when injected directly into
problem areas, such as a double chin or fat behind the knees,
fat can be broken down and lost in those specific places.
The
treatment has even been demonstrated live on television on
Channel 4’s Richard and Judy show. A guest was given two
injections of Lipostabil two months apart and showed a marked improvement.
However, the Flab Jab has already been banned in Brazil, the
country where its usage as a cosmetic treatment was pioneered,
due to links to skin infection and nerve damage.
In fact, Lipostabil’s manufacturer Sanofi-Aventis has warned that the
drug is not designed to be administered subcutaneously, under
the skin, and is not safe to be used for cosmetic purposes.
The Medical Defence Union and the Medical Practitioners
Society, the UK’s two main medical insurers are currently
refusing insurance to any doctors who continue to supply the
treatment. Also, the MHRA, Medicine and Healthcare products
Regulatory Authority, who license drugs in the UK, have
contacted over fifty clinics to order them not to advertise
the treatment and doctors who don’t comply could face
unlimited fines and potentially prison sentences. So it may be
some time if ever that Lipostabil is offered in the UK as a
fat loss solution.
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