A joint advisory committee for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted to recommend over-the-counter sales of the prescription weight-loss drug 'Xenical.'

The FDA still needs to give its final approval before GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare can sell the nonprescription version of orlistat, reports The Associated Press.

The agency typically goes along with the recommendations of the advisory committee, which is made up of an outside panel of experts. However, the final decision could take months.

The fat-blocking pill manufactured by Roche gained FDA approval in 1999. If orlistat is approved for over-the-counter sales, it would be the first weight-loss drug sanctioned by the FDA for that purpose.

"We are excited about the potential opportunity to provide consumers with an FDA-approved over-the-counter option that promotes gradual yet meaningful weight loss," said George Quesnelle, president of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare North America.

Obese people who took orlistat during six-month trials lost an average of 5.3 pounds to 6.2 pounds more than did those who were given placebos.