At issue is whether or not the pill creates vitamin deficiencies and encourages abuse in its users.
The pharmaceutical giant is seeking FDA approval to being marketing the drug, which plans to call Alli. The pill is a half dose of the Xenical pill, which was approved by the FDA in 1999.
So far, an FDA reviewer said Alli is a "safe and effective weight loss agent," but did not say whether the Nonprescription Drugs and the Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs advisory committee should recommend the drug to be sold to the general public without a prescription.
The pill blocks at least a quarter of the fat the user consumers, with the rest being passed out of the body in a bowel movement, which can be loose as a result.
FDA reviews want to be sure that the vitamin deficiencies caused by Alli are not harmful. The pill would block absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like D, E, K and beta-carotene, according to the Associated Press.
However, GlaxoSmithKline has said that it recommended that all patients taking Alli also take a multivitamin to combat such a problem.
