Tarzana company, FDA recall weight-loss pills containing drug not listed on label

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A Tarzana weight-loss and skin-care company, along with the Food and Drug Administration, recalled hundreds of weight-loss pills after the agency found that four dietary supplements contained ingredients not on the products’ labels.

The supplements sold by Young You Corp. contained the drug ingredient sibutramine, which was discovered by FDA lab analysis, said Alex Durmashkin, executive director of the company.

Sibutramine is an FDA-approved drug used as an appetite suppressant for weight loss, the agency said.

The four weight-loss products that were recalled, all made in China for Young You, are Slimbionic, One Weight Loss Pill 30, SlimDemand and Botanical Weight Loss, the FDA said.

‘Sibutramine wasn’t supposed to be in the supplements, but our manufacturer put it in the products without our knowledge,’ Durmashkin said. ‘That ingredient isn’t on the label, so we agreed to the recall.’

Young You has since stopped using manufacturer that made the recalled weight-loss pills, he said, and is asking consumers to discard or return the products. Durmashkin would not name the Chinese manufacturer.

Although sibutramine is an FDA-approved drug, the agency said it hadn’t approved the recalled Young You products as drugs and therefore the safety and effectiveness of the supplements is unknown.

The four supplements are no longer in production, Durmashkin said. The supplements were sold on the company’s websites, www.youngyoucorp.com and www.youngyourejuvenation.com, as well as the company’s store in Tarzana.

The FDA said the recalled products pose a threat to consumers because sibutramine is known to substantially increase blood pressure and pulse rate in some patients and the drug can also pose a significant risk for people with a history of coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias or stroke.

So far, no injuries or illness have been reported to Young You in connection with any of the recalled pills, the agency said.

Consumers with questions or who want to return the recalled supplements can reach Young You at (818)344-3344 or at their Tarzana store at 19590 Ventura Blvd.

Anyone who has experienced side effects from the recalled products should contact the FDA’s MedWatch Program at (800) FDA-1088, by mail at MedWatch FDA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852, or online at www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/default.htm.

-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles