Fake 'branded' weight loss drugs are being manufactured by organised crime gangs in the UK, sparking a 'significant threat' to public health.
According to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), tens of thousands of empty weight loss pens illegally branded as legitimate medicine brands were seized alongside raw chemical ingredients from an illegal weight loss drug factory in Northampton.
Authorities also found more than 2,000 unlicensed retatrutide and tirzepatide pens planned to be sold to members of the public, with the value of the products estimated to cost more than a quarter of a million pounds. Officers also seized £20,000, which is suspected to be linked to medicine trafficking.
The seizure amounted to the largest single interception of trafficked weight loss drugs ever recorded by any global law enforcement agency.
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In recent months, the organisation had noticed a sharp increase in this new illegal business model, in which 'criminals are putting investment into designing their own packaging and branding and selling it purporting to be a genuine product,' according to Andy Morling, head of MHRA’s criminal enforcement unit.
"That is an unusual model. It looked like genuine medicines, but are entirely unlicensed and illegal to sell in the UK," he told the Guardian.
"The most recent model, and the level of investment to do packaging and production facilities to sell on an industrial scale – that is undoubtedly organised crime. That is why we are working to eliminate that model before it takes a grip."
One of the biggest issues with weight loss jabs being sold illegally is the fact that there was a 'blurring of line in what is considered medicine and another cosmetic treatment available these days'.
“Some of the beauty parlours are selling them in this setting, not realising that they are selling medicine that could end up giving them a custodial sentence... in both customer and seller, there is a lack of awareness," Morning added.
Meanwhile, a weight loss medication expert has weighed in on the debate, calling out the 'cowboys' behind the illegal trade and warning of the stark dangers posed to patients.
"It’s devastating, but sadly not surprising, to see stories like these emerge. We have been warning patients about the dangers of the black market and the surge in 'cowboy' operators in and around the Mounjaro price hike who are ready to pounce on the thousands of people desperate to continue their treatment but unable to afford it," Toby Nicol, chief executive at CheqUp weight loss programmes, told LADbible.
He noted how a quick scour of social media uncovers 'cowboy operators in minutes,' describing them as 'drug dealers for all intents and purposes,' who are taking advantage of confused patients who feel priced out of the legal routes.
“Unregulated and counterfeit products pose a serious risk as they may contain the wrong ingredients, the wrong doses, or no active medication at all. The consequences can even be fatal," Nichol added.
“Our advice is clear - only ever source weight-loss medication from a regulated UK pharmacy and after a robust onboarding process. And with illegal weight loss medication operations now being exposed in the UK, it’s more important than ever that people remain cautious. As with most things in life, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is."
Last month, a mum-of-three tragically died after being injected with a counterfeit weight loss jab she purchased from a beauty salon for £20 after being turned down for medication through the NHS.
Emma Rosemurgey