As weight loss medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro soar in popularity, counterfeit and otherwise unapproved versions of these drugs are making their way into the market, putting patients at risk.
Here are five notes:
- The FDA issued four warning letters to companies regarding unapproved GLP-1s, including semaglutide, tirzepatide and retatrutide products. The letters were sent to Xcel Peptides, Swisschems, Summit Research and Prime Peptides, according to a Dec. 17 news release from the agency. The agency also sent a warning letter to Veronvy for offering unapproved and misbranded oral GLP-1 products, including one claiming to be FDA certified.
- In early November, the FDA also warned healthcare professionals and patients about compounded weight loss drugs from Fullerton Wellness, an Ontario, Calif.-based company, after reports of contamination. Following an inspection prompted by a patient complaint about black particulate matter in a vial of semaglutide, the agency found significant deficiencies at the facility, including the use of non-sterile ingredients and improper sterilization practices.
- The difference between compounded versions of weight loss drugs is that they tend to cost less and are popular at online pharmacies and medical spas. Counterfeit versions of the drugs, however, are not licensed and are manufactured and packaged to look like legitimate brand-name medications but often contain little to none of the actual drug component.
- In West Tennessee, law enforcement uncovered more than 300 vials of counterfeit semaglutide and tirzepatide, along with syringes and other medical materials in a raid of a home linked to Emily Arnold, of Medina, Tenn., an alleged seller of knockoff weight loss drugs, according to an Dec. 17 NBC News report. Ms. Arnold is facing felony charges for impersonating a licensed professional and allegedly selling these drugs to medical spas. Testing revealed one of the counterfeit drugs was essentially made up of water, posing serious health risks if administered.
- Using counterfeit medications can lead to dangerous health complications, including infections from non-sterile substances and the risk of cardiac arrhythmia if the drugs are contaminated with harmful chemicals, according to the report. Daniela Hurtado Andrade, MD, and endocrinologist at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., told NBC, "If you are putting a contaminated substance under your skin, you can certainly be at risk of developing infections."