Demand is also increasing in European countries: for example, in the UK, a survey found that 21% of the public had used an online or in-person pharmacy in the past year to obtain weight loss medication. For example, according to a Reuters report, Germans are also willing to accept the drugs, even if they have to pay for it themselves.
Amid this growing demand, the European Medicines Agency warned in September 2025, “The risk of advertising and online sales of illegal medicines is increasing.”
These include counterfeit versions of a drug called rettrutide, which is still in clinical trials and, therefore, not yet approved for human use. Others include a substance called sibutramine, which is banned in some countries.
Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization) says that weight loss drugs account for a growing share of counterfeit and unapproved drugs seized worldwide.
In October 2025, authorities in the UK reported the largest-ever seizure of smuggled weight loss drugs. Worth a quarter of a million pounds it included thousands of injectable pens containing retatrutide.
Why are weight loss medicines becoming counterfeit?
It appears that several factors are contributing to this increase in counterfeit weight loss drugs, but the first is that legitimate drugs are promoted as very effective, and demand has increased faster than supply.
Celebrity use and promotion by social media fitness influencers has also helped to normalize their use for weight loss.
“There is so much publicity that the general public views this drug more as a lifestyle or vanity product rather than a highly regulated drug used for the clinical treatment of diabetes and obesity,” said Oksana Pyzik, associate professor of pharmacy at University College London.
These drugs were originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, but are now also used to treat obesity. While they have different commercial names and different active ingredients, they are all known as GLP-1 receptor agonists.
The most common approved medications are:
- Vegovy/Ozempic (semaglutide)*
- Zepbound (tirazeptide; sold as Monzaro in the UK and EU)
- Saxenda (liraglutide)
GLP-1 receptor agonists mimic naturally occurring hormones that suppress a person’s appetite and slow digestion. These can only be legally and safely given with a prescription to individuals with a body mass index above a certain limit. But these can also be very expensive.
Official prices for GLP-1 drugs are particularly high in the US, with the cost of a one-month course reaching more than $1,000 for those without insurance or a discount. In Europe they are much cheaper, although still expensive.
“Low supply, high demand, and high prices are creating (a) perfect storm that organized criminal groups will gravitate toward,” Pyzyk said.
When purchased through the US government website, TrumpRx, prices in the US will be reduced as early as 2026, following an agreement with President Donald Trump and drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk.
Hidden dangers of buying weight loss medicines online
There are a range of risks associated with purchasing medicines from unregulated sellers – from products that do nothing at all, to those contaminated with potentially dangerous ingredients or dirty needles and incorrect doses.
Dosing errors can increase commonly experienced side effects of GLP-1 medications, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
For example, in the UK, a woman died after receiving semaglutide injections sold as Monjaro (trizepitide) in beauty salons.
Shabbir Safdar, executive director of the Partnership for Safe Medicines, said such incidents need to be better publicized to raise awareness. “There needs to be a long-term focus on sharing the consequences of bad decisions for people to gradually learn,” Safdar said.
But the dangers extend far beyond counterfeit GLP-1 drugs. Health experts recommend combining weight loss medications with proper exercise and healthy eating habits. You should always consult a doctor. And avoid fake medicines.
In Russia, people are reporting serious side effects after taking a weight-loss drug called Molecule, which is sold illegally and often promoted online through social media.
Tests revealed that the molecule contained sibutramine, an appetite suppressant that is banned in the EU, UK and US.
Sibutramine, originally used in hospitals, was found to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. In Russia, it is now legally available only for adults with a doctor’s prescription. Health officials in Mexico have also warned against using the drug for weight loss.
“All medications have risks, and if you continue taking it without a good medical reason, these risks may increase,” Pyzik said. “We need to encourage people who are following social media trends to realize that they are taking real risks with their health and their bodies, which cannot be reversed, and which require medical oversight.”
How is social media promoting the spread of counterfeit medicines?
It is very easy to find websites and social media, including TikTok, Facebook, and Telegram, that offer weight loss medications without a prescription.
“More trust and safety work is needed to proactively seek out and punish illegal drug sellers on social media,” Safdar said.
Counterfeit products can reach legitimate pharmacies even. This is said to be an issue in low- and middle-income countries. But it can also happen in high-income countries like America.
“I teach pharmacists to check the license of anyone selling a product,” Safdar said, citing an incident where a pharmacy purchased Saxenda injection pens that were relabeled and sold as Ozempic.
If you buy medications online, look for these warning signs: websites that don’t ask for health information and don’t require a doctor’s prescription, and when you receive the medication, there are spelling errors on the packaging or the substance looks cloudy when it should be clear.
Edited by: Zulfikar Abbani
*Although Wegovi and Ozempic are essentially the same drug, Wegovi is the brand name when it is sold as a weight loss medication, and Ozempic is the brand name when it is sold as a diabetes treatment.
<a href