“The two components in question do not appear in the components, we are sure of falsification”, indicates the drug agency

“The two components in question: sibutramine and sildenafil do not appear in the list of the components of the drug. We are therefore of course falsified”, said Tuesday April 11 on franceinfo the doctor Christelle Ratignier-Carbonneil, director general of the ANSM (National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products) in reference to several detox products of the Trex brand now prohibited for sale. The director explains that these two substances found in different Trex products “cause adverse effects” reassembled. Christelle Ratignier-Carbonneil reminds us that we must be “vigilant”particularly with regard to “products with miraculous claims”.

franceinfo: What is it and why do you ban it?

Christelle Ratignier-Carbonneil: We have banned several products: Trex tea powder, Trex Cap capsules and Trex Plus effervescent tablets. These are indeed natural detox products that promote weight loss. We took this decision to suspend because of numerous serious adverse effects reported by around twenty people: heart rhythm disorders, hypertension, tachycardia, palpitations, etc., which can lead to hospitalization. We took this action because tests revealed the presence in these products of two medicinal substances: sibutramine (an obesity treatment that we banned in 2010) and sildenafil (the active substance present in Viagra). It is these two molecules that cause these undesirable effects.

These are not confidential products, you can find them everywhere, do you know where they are made?

These products are sold on the Internet, via reseller sites or social networks that use platforms that have extremely wide access. What is important is to be able to identify the distributors. This is the reason why I took a health policy decision on a large number of distributors in order to be able to stop the marketing of these products. If people still have these products, they should stop using them immediately. We throw them away! If they get any side effects, they can contact 15 or a poison control center or healthcare professional.

This selling point: the “Detox”, does it have a scientific or medical basis?

It’s necessary to be vigilant. Just because we have products that say “detox” or “natural” doesn’t mean it’s safe. The two cited components (sibutramine and sildenafil) do not appear in the list of drug components. We are therefore of course falsification. This is the reason why when you are in a process that will affect your health or your appearance, you have to be extremely careful. Advice and discussion with health professionals is essential. Everything related to health is sensitive. It is therefore dangerous to rely on products with miraculous claims.