There are a lot of similarities as well as differences between Xenical and Alli. To compare the two drugs you need to understand both. Read this article to find out the key similarities and points of difference between Xenical and Alli.

Similarities between Xenical and Alli

Both Xenical and Alli aim at helping you lose weight. The medicines are clinically proven to be safe and effective treatments for obesity and are even approved by the US Food and Drugs Administration. The active ingredient in both Xenical and Alli is a compound called orlistat. Hence, these medicines work in the same way. In essence, both Xenical and Alli are fat-absorption inhibitor weight loss drugs. The medicines work in your digestive system to prevent the absorption of fat in your diet. The undigested fat cannot be absorbed and is eliminated out of your body through normal bowel movement. As they have the same mechanism, side effects of both Xenical and Alli are similar. To get effective results of Xenical or Alli, you would need to take physician supervised low-calorie diet and do regular physical exercise. If you take Xenical or Alli with high fat meal, you may have to face embarrassing gastrointestinal side effects such as gas with oily discharge, an increased number of bowel movements, an urgent need to have them and an inability to control them.

Difference between Xenical and OTC diet pill Alli

There are significant differences between Xenical and Alli. By understanding these differences, you’ll be in a better position to judge which medicine will be more appropriate for you.

Prescription vs. OTC

While Xenical orlistat is approved by the FDA for sale on prescription basis only, Alli diet pill is found suitable to be sold over-the-counter. This means that you don’t need to have a doctor’s prescription to buy Alli for weight loss. By far Alli is the only diet pill approved by the FDA for sale on OTC basis.

Manufacturer

Xenical orlistat is marketed by pharmaceutical company Roche, while Alli diet pill is being promoted by pharmaceuticals company GlaxoSmithKline.

Year of approval

Xenical is much older than Alli. While Xenical was approved by the FDA in 1999, Alli was approved by the FDA in February 2007. The European Medicines Agency granted approval for the sale of Alli in January 2009.

Dosage

There is a significant difference in the dosage between the two drugs. While Xenical is available in the dosage strength of 120mg, Alli is available in much lower dosage strength of 60mg. The lower dosage of Alli makes it a comparatively milder drug and this is why it has been approved for sale on non-prescription basis.

Effectiveness

Clinical studies have proven that the Alli 60mg dose is 85% as effective as the Xenical 120mg. While Xenical is proven to prevent the absorption of the fat in your diet by up to 30%, Alli helps to prevent up to 25% of the fat in your diet from being absorbed. This makes Alli nearly as effective as Xenical.