Safety fears rise over unlicensed 'flab jab'

It's been hailed as the new Botox, but a drug that promises to "melt fat" is not safe as a quick-fix beauty treatment.

An Independent on Sunday investigation has found doctors across the country offering Phosphatidycholine as a cosmetic treatment, which is not authorised – thousands of people are being injected with the drug despite warnings from health safety watchdogs.

The soya-based blend, dubbed the "flab jab", Lipostabil and lipotherapy, is injected into fatty areas such as thighs to dissolve fatty deposits, despite its manufacturer warning it is not designed to be injected into fat and is not safe for cosmetic purposes. It is not approved for cosmetic use in any country, but it is being widely distributed in the UK, the IoS can reveal.

A British woman left permanently disfigured from multiple injections into her thighs is suing a doctor for tens of thousands of pounds after she claims he failed to warn her that the drug was not licensed.

These revelations come days after a Nottingham-based GP became the first person to be prosecuted for illegally advertising and possessing the drug. The IoS has learnt of two other criminal cases being investigated by the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency).

International cosmetic surgeons are warning against using the untested product, which has been linked to serious side effects such a necrosis (a breakdown of the skin), infections and chronic inflammation. It has already been banned in Brazil.

Mr Andrew Skanderowicz, president of the British Association of Cosmetic Surgeons, said he had witnessed several flab-jab disasters. "It is unethical to use a product which goes against the recommendation of the regulatory organisation. It should be fully researched before people start using it. It seems to be spreading like wildfire, and from what I've heard it may gain wider acceptance."

Lipostabil is not illegal, but it is unlicensed. Doctors can legally administer it provided the patient has bought it themselves, but they are not allowed to recommend a supplier, help to order or store the product, according to the MHRA.

The clinics contacted as part of the IoS investigation do not advertise the procedure on their websites but discussed it openly. One clinic quickly directed our investigator to an old information page still available on the internet, while another sent an email fact sheet.

But safety experts warn there is no reliable evidence about how it works or the long-term effects on fat and other cells. The UK's two main medical insurers refuse to cover doctors who use the product cosmetically because of fears about its safety.

However an international network of doctors insists the drug and procedure are safe if administered by trained professionals. They set up insurance for their European members last year and are collecting data from 1,200 doctors worldwide, but admit there may be thousands of unregulated practitioners.

One mother of three who had the treatment for her "problem thighs" in a large private hospital in the South-east said: "The doctor suggested this new treatment which he said was a non-invasive, safe, natural product which would help my thighs. He had the Lipostabil, so I had it there and then; around 200 injections into my thighs."

Within 24 hours she was in severe pain, her thighs were swollen and she had difficulty walking. She was admitted to hospital for a week, where she had intravenous antibiotics and surgery to drain two ulcers, leaving her unable to work for four months and permanently scarred.

She said: "He never warned me about any side effects. Nor did he tell me the drug was unlicensed. If he had I never would have had the treatment."

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