A doctor has issued a stark warning after a bombshell investigation revealed the extent of fake weight loss jabs being sold on social media.
A Channel 4 investigation revealed just how easy it was for an undercover journalist to purchase the injections over Facebook, TikTok and WhatsApp.
After purchasing the knock-off jabs on WhatsApp and collecting them from a home in the north of England, the journalist was told the products were Retatrutide, a new weight loss drug from the makers of Mounjaro, Eli Lilly.
The seller claimed the injections were available on the NHS, but the truth is Retatrutide is not available anywhere yet, with public trials of the medication not expected to take place until 2026.
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Demand for black market jabs have soared in the UK since Eli Lilly announced huge price increases for the drug starting last month.
The pharmaceutical company told LADbible: "Retatrutide is an investigational molecule that is legally available only to participants in Lilly’s clinical trials. Anyone purporting to sell retatrutide for human use is breaking the law, and no one should consider taking anything claiming to be retatrutide outside of a Lilly-sponsored clinical trial."
With thousands of people across the UK already reliant on the medication, many were left looking for alternatives after being priced out of their existing private prescriptions.
"With the recent price hikes, we’re likely to see more and more people turning to unregulated sellers because the medication is cheaper," Jason Murphy, Head of Pharmacy at Chemist4U, said.
"This is extremely unsafe as many of these sources distribute counterfeit versions of Mounjaro, which pose serious risks to your health.
"Beyond the lack of quality control, patients may be exposed to harmful ingredients or medications that don’t contain the active drug at all, so what might seem like a cost-saving shortcut could end up causing severe harm."
Despite not being available to the public yet, interest in Retatrutide has soared recently, sparking almost one million Google searches last month alone.
According to Dr Crystal Wyllie at Asda Online Doctor, people are desperately searching for alternatives to Mounjaro, and are 'exploring all avenues when it comes to weight loss medication'.
"There is a huge risk that those who may not be able to afford the new costs will seek out alternative solutions, which could include sourcing the jabs at a cheaper cost from unregulated sites," she said.
"Whilst we understand the frustration patients are feeling regarding costs, we recommend that people exercise caution when it comes to purchasing lower-cost medications from unregulated sites, as it is more than likely counterfeit.
"This poses a huge risk, particularly to those with pre-existing conditions, as you can’t be 100 percent clear on what the pens contain, and whether the contents are in fact the same as the approved medications, or a concoction of other, potentially harmful substances."
Emma Rosemurgey