GlaxoSmithKline’s new diet drug, Alli, hit shelves nationwide last month. As the first FDA-approved over-the-counter weight loss pill, Alli is receiving a lot of attention. “We have an obesity epidemic with people screaming for a solution,” stated Bill Trombettta, Ph.D., professor of pharmaceutical marketing at Saint Joseph’s University. “Alli is on everyone’s lips because it’s the only new diet drug available to address this unmet need.”

Alli’s multi-million dollar marketing campaign also helps. The campaign takes a unique approach to targeting consumers by being upfront about the effectiveness of the pill. “The typical marketing approach for this kind of product is to offer an unrealistic solution to weight loss,” explained Dr. Trombetta. “GlaxoSmithKline, however, emphasizes that the pill is not a magic bullet and is only effective when used as part of a healthy lifestyle.”

Alli, which is available at drug and vitamin stores nationwide, works by decreasing the amount of fat absorbed by the body. The drug’s manufacturers recommend following a low-fat diet while using the pill. The website, MyAlli.com, provides customers with even more information, tips and motivational tools to use once they register their product on the site.

GlaxoSmithKline has also not been shy about informing the public about the side effects of the pill. Alli comes with a warning label listing possible gastrointestinal side effects, including “the caution to wear dark pants and bring a change of clothes with you to work until you have a sense of any treatment effects.”

“You have to remember that manufacturers have been slammed recently for not being upfront about the possible side effects of their drugs,” said Dr. Trombetta. “You have to hand it to GlaxoSmithKline for putting things on its sleeve.”

These side effects are providing great fodder for popular late-night comedians. Most recently, Jay Leno, of The Tonight Show, and Conan O’Brien, of Late Night with Conan O’Brien captured viewers’ attention with jokes using Alli’s side effects as the punch line.

Whether the GlaxoSmith Kline marketing investment will be rewarded in sales is yet to be determined. But as Dr. Trombetta pointed out, “They got your attention. You can’t buy this kind of publicity.”

Source: Saint Joseph’s University