In the US alone, 12% of the population have reported using injectable weight loss drugs, such as Wegovy/Ozempic, Zepbound and Saxenda, over the past year. That’s more than double the number recorded in early 2024.
In European countries, demand is also on the rise: In the UK, for example, a survey found that 21% of the public had accessed an online or in-person pharmacy in the past year to obtain weight loss medication. Germans, for example, have also been keen to adopt the drugs, even if they have to pay for them themselves, according to a report by Reuters.
Amid this rising demand, there is a “growing threat of illegal medicines being advertised and sold online,” warned the European Medicines Agency in September 2025.
These include counterfeit versions of a drug called retatrutide, which is still in clinical trials and, therefore, not — yet — approved for human use. Others include a substance called sibutramine, which has been banned in some countries.
Interpol (the International Criminal Police Organization) says weight loss drugs account for a growing share of counterfeit and unapproved medicines intercepted worldwide.
In October 2025, authorities in the UK reported the largest seizure of trafficked weight loss medicines ever recorded. Valued at a quarter of a million pounds, it included thousands of injectable pens containing retatrutide.
Why are weight loss drugs being counterfeited?
Several factors appear to be contributing to this rise in counterfeit weight loss drugs, but the first is that the legitimate drugs are promoted as very effective, and demand has grown faster than supply.
Celebrity use and promotion by social media fitness influencers have also helped normalize their use for weight loss.
“There’s so much hype that the general public sees this medication more as a lifestyle or vanity product rather than a highly regulated pharmaceutical used for the clinical treatment of diabetes and obesity,” said Oksana Pyzik, Associate Professor of Pharmacy at University College London.
The drugs were originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes but are now also used to treat obesity. While they have different commercial names and various active ingredients, they are all known as GLP-1 receptor agonists.
The most common approved drugs are:
- Wegovy/Ozempic (semaglutide)*
- Zepbound (tirzepatide; sold as Mounjaro in the UK and EU)
- Saxenda (liraglutide)
GLP-1 receptor agonists mimic naturally occurring hormones that suppress a person’s appetite and slow down digestion. They can only legally and safely be dispensed with a prescription to individuals with a body mass index above a certain threshold. But they can also be very expensive.
Official prices for GLP-1 drugs have been especially high in the US, with the cost of a month-long course reaching more than $1,000 for people without insurance or discounts. They are significantly cheaper, though still expensive, in Europe.
“Short supply, high demand, and the high price [are creating a] perfect storm which organized criminal groups will pivot towards,” said Pyzik, who also works as a campaigner for a non-profit called Fight the Fakes Alliance.
Prices in the US will come down in early 2026, following a deal with President Donald Trump and drug makers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, when bought via the US government website, TrumpRx.
The hidden dangers of buying weight loss drugs online
There are a range of risks associated with buying drugs from unregulated sellers — from products that do nothing to those that are contaminated with potentially dangerous ingredients or dirty needles, and incorrect dosages.
Dosing errors can exacerbate commonly experienced side effects of GLP-1 drugs, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
In the UK, for example, a woman died after receiving semaglutide injections sold to her as Mounjaro (tirzepatide) in a beauty salon.
Incidents like this need to be better publicized to raise awareness, said Shabbir Safdar, Executive Director of the Partnership for Safe Medicines. “It takes a long-term focus on sharing the consequences of poor judgement to get people to slowly learn,” Safdar said.
But the dangers extend beyond counterfeit GLP-1 drugs. Health experts recommend combining weight loss medication with appropriate exercise and healthy eating habits. You should always consult a doctor. And avoid fake drugs.
In Russia, people have been reporting severe side effects after consuming a weight loss drug known as Molecule, which is sold illegally and promoted online, often via social media.
Tests have revealed that Molecule contains sibutramine, an appetite suppressant that is banned in the EU, UK, and US.
Originally used in hospitals, sibutramine was found to increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. In Russia, it is now legally available only to adults with a prescription. Health authorities in Mexico have also warned against using the drug for weight loss.
“All medicines have risks and if you continue taking it without a good clinical reason, those risks can increase,” said Pyzik. “We need to encourage those that are following a social media trend to realize they’re taking real risks with their own health and their own body, which may not be reversible, and that that requires medical oversight.”
How social media is fueling the fake drugs boom
It is too easy to find websites and social media, including TikTok, Facebook and Telegram, offering weight-loss drugs without a prescription.
“There needs to be much more trust and safety work to proactively find illegal medicine sellers on social media and penalize them,” said Safdar.
Fake products can also make their way into legitimate pharmacies. This is said to be an issue in low and middle-income countries. But it can also happen in higher-income countries like the US.
“I teach pharmacists to check out the license of anyone who’s selling products,” said Safdar, citing an incident where a pharmacy purchased used Saxenda injection pens that had been relabeled and sold as Ozempic.
If you buy drugs online, look for these warning signs: Websites that don’t ask for health information and don’t require a prescription, and when you receive the drug, spelling errors on the packaging or the substance looks cloudy when it should be clear.
Edited by: Zulfikar Abbany
*While Wegovy and Ozempic are essentially the same drug, Wegovy is its brand name when it is sold as weight loss medication, and Ozempic is its brand name when it is sold as a treatment for diabetes.
