Mounjaro manufacturer responds to dangerous 'golden dose' viral hack that can be fatal

The manufacturer of Mounjaro has responded to dangerous hack that’s been doing the rounds on social media.

Videos of people taking a ‘golden dose’ of the drug have been going viral despite doctors warning that it can be fatal.

This comes as more and more Brits are accessing the prescription injectables for weight-loss treatment.

Unlike Ozempic, Mounjaro (along with Wegovy) is licensed for use in the UK for this. Typically designed for treating Type-2 diabetes, the drug contains tirzepatide which mimics the actions of GLP-1 and GIP. And for those wanting or needing to lose weight for their health, Mounjaro can therefore help them to feel fuller and eat less.

But as some Brits pay for it online using private prescriptions, they have been using this ‘golden dose’ to supposedly get their ‘money’s worth.'

Some people have been trying to extract the remains. ( Peter Dazeley via Getty Images)

And this comes despite experts saying it is simply not worth the risk.

To get this golden dose, people are essentially setting up a mini home lab and using a needle and syringe to extract the ‘leftover’ liquid from their Mounjaro pen.

They then give themselves an extra injection of the medication, more than what has been prescribed as some say they’ve paid for it so they want every last drop.

But the manufacturer, Eli Lilly told LADbible: “he Mounjaro (tirzepatide) KwikPen is designed to deliver a fixed volume of Mounjaro solution at each dose. The KwikPen contains sufficient solution to allow for the necessary priming before each injection and the delivery of a total of 4 doses (one dose given weekly for a 28-day supply of medicine).”

It pointed out that, while medication ‘will remain in the KwikPen cartiridge’ after the four fixed doses are completed, ‘an additional dose cannot be dialled.'

“The KwikPen must be discarded after 4 doses or 30 days after first use,” the pharmaceutical company added.

The manufacturer has spoken out. (Peter Dazeley via Getty Images)

Doctors have also strongly warned against taking the ‘golden dose’ as Dr Emma Sanders said: “It’s really interesting how people go from terrified of the side effects to Mounjaro, to ‘I’m just going to do this my own way.’”

She warns that people hacking into the pens isn’t exactly ‘clean’, which could be putting them ‘at risk of significant harm.'

Professor Penny Ward also told the MailOnline that, while the pens are sterile when dispensed, they are not once they're used, meaning that harmful bacteria could enter the bloodstream.

"This can lead to an abscess — a painful build-up of pus — and if left untreated, potentially progress to sepsis, a life-threatening condition where the body's organs begin to shut down," she warned as well as highlighting the risk of overdosing.