Fake Alli distributor pleads guilty

Chinese national Shengyang Zhou and Qing Ming Hu, a naturalised US citizen, pleaded guilty last week to charges of trafficking and attempting to traffic in counterfeit goods.

Zhou was accused of distributing counterfeit versions of GlaxoSmithKline's over-the-counter (OTC) weight-loss drug Alli, while co-defendant Hu admitted distributing the controlled weight-loss drug sibutramine. He is due to be sentenced on May 6.

Zhou was taken into custody in Honolulu, Hawaii, on March 23, 2010, the same day accomplice Hu was arrested in Texas.

Last year, the FDA warned consumers to be wary of Alli sourced from websites after encountering fake versions of the product containing potentially dangerous levels of sibutramine, putting people at risk of side effects such as high-blood pressure, seizures, tachycardia, palpitations, heart attack or stroke.

Genuine Alli contains a compound called orlistat that works by binding fat in the gastrointestinal tract so that it is not absorbed by the body.

The fake versions of Alli were being sold in the USA through internet websites, including online auction websites such as eBay. The FDA has cited one case of a man who suffered a significant adverse reaction as a result of ingesting the counterfeit product.

Zhou faces up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines. Prior to his guilty plea he had been risking a jail sentence of up to 38 years and fines of up to a million dollars. He is due to be sentenced on May 6.

Hu faces a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. She is due for sentencing on April 28.

"Americans must have confidence that drugs introduced into and distributed throughout the United States are genuine, FDA-compliant products," commented Patrick Holland, special agent in charge of the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations. 

"The FDA will aggressively pursue all foreign and domestic perpetrators of illegal drug distribution schemes who threaten the public’s health by selling counterfeit drugs," he added.


Related articles:

Arrests made in counterfeit Alli case

GSK and eBay team up to fight fake Alli

Fake Alli delivers 'dangerous' dose of sibutramine

Counterfeit OTC weight loss drug contains controlled drug