A prominent weight-loss pill will be banned after Australian regulators believed there was no medical evidence it could lead to the advertised weight loss.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) removed FatBlaster Max – Australia’s leading weight loss supplement – from shelves across the country on Monday, including at Coles, Woolworths, and Priceline, after its makers registered the drug without any weight loss properties.
“The TGA believes that the name ‘FatBlaster’, as used on the label for FatBlaster Max and on a website where Cat Media Pty Ltd advertised that drug, would be understood by consumers as a statement that the drug promotes loss of body fat and so weight causes loss,” they said.
Camera IconFatBlaster has been taken off the shelves after an Australian regulator revealed it could not lead to weight loss as advertised. Delivered/FatBlaster Credit: NCA NewsWire
“When the drug was on the list [the register]However, Cat Media Pty Ltd did not include weight loss or loss of body fat in the list of indications for the drug. Thus, the TGA cannot guarantee that the drug is effective for this advertised purpose.”
Consumers were advised by the makers of FatBlaster Max — which Cat Media sponsors — to take one tablet every three hours, with each pill containing the same amount of caffeine as a cup of instant coffee.
In the past, merchants could continue to sell drugs until they were sold out, although production and imports of the product must be halted.
Dr. Veronique Chachay, a University of Queensland researcher and accredited practicing dietitian, told NCA NewsWire that “it was about time” the “misleading” product was pulled from sale.
“You know, it’s a big jungle with marketing companies spreading misinformation; it’s a problem,” she said.
“Having this taken off the shelf is just a small drop in a vast ocean of trouble, but it’s a step nonetheless.”
“People need to understand that losing weight doesn’t happen this way. There is no magic pill.”
Camera icon On Tuesday, Priceline pulled FatBlaster Max from its online website. NCA NewsWire/Brenton Edwards Credit: News Corp Australia
A FatBlaster representative told NCA NewsWire they are “disappointed” by the TGA’s decision to cancel the product.
“The requirements of the TGA have changed over the years that FatBlaster Max tablets have been launched, and FatBlaster has made every effort to update all packaging, advertisements, and claims to ensure these requirements are met,” they said.
“Thousands of people have used fat blaster products as part of a holistic approach to health and wellness, and the cancellation of the listing will not affect the wider FatBlaster range.”
Cat Media has since appealed the TGA’s decision to the Administrative Appellate Body.
In October 2020, the same company was fined multiple times for illegally advertising FatBlaster Max before the products were registered.
Last month, Cat Media was slapped with an additional $39,960 fine for unlawfully advertising three of its other products — which had not yet been registered — on the Chinese-language portion of its website.
