Experts are warning that counterfeit weight-loss medications in tablet form could become more prevalent in the UK as oral versions of popular injectable drugs are launched. They say stronger regulation and enforcement are needed to prevent fraudsters from exploiting the new treatments, which are easier to counterfeit than injections.
While pill forms of weight-loss medications are expected to be cheaper and more accessible, they are also an easier target for scammers. Bhavik Patel, a professor at the University of Brighton, said: 'Pills are much easier prey for scammers than injectables as they require relatively accessible equipment to manufacture the pill – something to mix the powders and a pill press – and can provide the scope for vast production.'
Currently, weight-loss jabs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro are in high demand in the UK, with trials showing average weight loss of 14% and 20% respectively after 72 weeks. However, they are expensive, require injection pens and needles, and must be refrigerated. Pharmaceutical companies are now developing oral versions containing drugs that mimic the hormone GLP-1.
A pill form of Wegovy, produced by Novo Nordisk, was approved by the US FDA last month and is under assessment by the UK's MHRA. Eli Lilly's Orforglipron has completed phase-three clinical trials and has been submitted to the FDA. Dr Bernard Naughton of Trinity College Dublin warned that counterfeit pills could include medications taken out of the legitimate supply chain, stored incorrectly, or contaminated with incorrect doses or ingredients.
Novo Nordisk stressed that its Wegovy pill contains a unique absorption-enhancing substance called SNAC, and that only the company manufactures FDA-approved semaglutide with this technology. The MHRA has previously warned about fake weight-loss jabs, and in October last year raided a factory in Northampton, seizing over £250,000 worth of counterfeit injection pens, including for the unlicensed drug retatrutide.
Oksana Pyzik of UCL said demand for these medications has outpaced regulated supply, driving people to seek cheaper alternatives online. 'While oral weight-loss drugs may improve access, it will also widen opportunity for criminals to falsify GLP-1s,' she added.
