WHO and Eli Lilly caution patients against falling for fake versions of popular weight-loss drugs

NOW ANOTHER COMPANY IS SOUNDING THE ALARM. HOW LONG DOES THIS TAKE? FIVE INVESTIGATES BRITTANY JOHNSON FIRST REPORTED ON THIS GROWING ISSUE LAST MONTH, SHOWING HOW SHE WAS ABLE TO ORDER COMPOUNDED SEMAGLUTIDE FROM TWO ONLINE COMPANIES. THAT’S THE MAIN INGREDIENT IN WEGOVY AND OZEMPIC. SHE FILLED OUT A MEDICAL INTAKE FORM BUT NEVER MET WITH A DOCTOR BEFORE THE INJECTIONS ARRIVED. NOW, THE COMPANY BEHIND TWO OTHER SIMILAR DRUGS IS RAISING MORE RED FLAGS ABOUT PEOPLE TRYING TO BUY VERSIONS OF MANJARO AND ZEP, FOUND ONLINE OR ON SOCIAL MEDIA. THE ACTIVE INGREDIENT IN THESE MEDICATIONS IS SOMETHING CALLED TIRZEPATIDE. IN AN OPEN LETTER ELI LILLY WROTE IN PART THAT THEY ARE, QUOTE, THE ONLY LAWFUL SUPPLIER OF FDA APPROVED TIRZEPATIDE MEDICINES AND THAT THEY DO NOT PROVIDE THAT INGREDIENT TO COMPOUNDING PHARMACIES, MED SPA WELLNESS CENTERS, ONLINE RETAILERS OR OTHER MANUFACTURERS. THEY ALSO PROVIDED PHOTOS OF WHAT REAL INJECTIONS OF MANJARO AND ZEPPELIN LOOK LIKE. DOCTOR FATIMA CODY STANFORD IS AN OBESITY EXPERT AT MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL. SHE SAYS THE RISKS OF TAKING COPYCAT FORMS OF THESE DRUGS ARE CLEAR. WHAT I WANT TO GIVE THEM IS SOMETHING THAT’S TESTED, SOMETHING THAT’S VALIDATED, AND WHEN WE’RE GIVING PATIENTS COMPOUNDED MEDICATION DEVENS I HAVE NO STUDY RESULTS TO BACK THEM. WHERE’S THE DATA? STANFORD SAYS SHE UNDERSTANDS THE URGENCY PEOPLE FEEL WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING THESE MEDICATIONS, BUT OFFERS THIS WARNING GO AND WORK WITH A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL, A DOCTOR THAT REALLY UNDERSTANDS THIS DISEASE. PLEASE DON’T BE IN SUCH A RUSH TO TO GO AND GET THESE MEDICATIONS THAT AREN’T TESTED, THAT AREN’T TREATED FROM AN UNTRUSTED SOURCE AS WELL. EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE FDA ISSUED WARNINGS TO TWO COMPANIES MAKING COMPOUNDED VERSIONS OF THESE DRUGS. WELL, THE AGENCY HAS ALSO RECEIVED AT LEAST 239 REPORTS OF ADVERSE REACTIONS TO COMPOUNDED SEMAGLUTIDE, BUT WARNED THAT NUMBER COULD BE HIGHER SINCE COMPOUNDING PHARMACIES ARE NOT