Warnings have been issued over fake weight loss jabs that could be “life-threatening” after thousands of fraudulent online pharmacies were uncovered.
Fake versions of Ozempic, a popular brand of weight loss jab, were being sold for as little as £13.70 per dose, along with counterfeit versions of other brands, including Rybelsus and Metformin pills, being offered from 24p.
The UK’s medicines regulator said taking bogus medications could not only make people ill, but in some cases could be fatal.
Researchers from Avast, a cybersecurity brand of the company Gen, who conducted the investigation, warned of the “dangerous” threat of the global scam involving more than 5,000 fake pharmacy sites this year, which they say are being run by criminal networks.
It comes amid the rapid rise of weight-loss medication in the UK – with around 1.5 million people, 4 per cent of households, currently using them.
Gen also found fake Viagra, a medicine used to treat erection issues, and unregulated fertility pills being sold. The company said lab tests found no active ingredient in a third of the drugs tested.
Andy Morling, deputy director of criminal enforcement at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), told The Independent: “Buying medicines from illegal suppliers significantly increases the risk of receiving products that are either falsified or not licensed for use in the UK. Products purchased in this way will not meet the MHRA’s strict quality and safety standards.
“Medicines obtained from illegally trading sources can not only fail to work, but they can also make you very sick. In some cases, they may contain toxic substances or dangerously high levels of the correct active ingredient, with potentially fatal consequences.”
The researchers warned that the “alarmingly” polished websites, complete with bogus customer service information, detailed product pages, and looked similar to legitimate online pharmacies.
But many were detected as fakes because they used AI to create reviews, health blogs, live chat support and manipulated search results.
As well as the health implications, the researchers said UK customers risked their details and identity being stolen by the sites.
Siggi Stefnission, cyber safety chief technology officer at Gen, warned: “Purchasing pharmaceuticals from untrusted online retailers is a serious danger, both to individual health and to someone’s digital safety.
“From a public health perspective, counterfeit or unregulated drugs can be ineffective or even life-threatening. It’s critical that consumers only use licensed, reputable online pharmacies to protect themselves from cybercrime and potential physical harm.”
The popularity of weight-loss jabs has soared in the past year, with the NHS’s top doctor, Sir Stephen Powis, saying they could soon become among the most commonly used drugs.
Both Ozempic and Rybelsus, which have the active ingredient semaglutide, are not licensed as a weight loss treatment. Instead they are designed to treat people with type 2 diabetes but both are sometimes prescribed off-label to treat weight loss.
However, popular weight loss jabs Wegovy, which has the same active ingredient, and Mounjaro, which uses the active ingredient tirzepatide, are both licensed in the UK for the treatment of weight loss.
Gen explained that criminals are taking advantage of people looking for a fast and discreet way to get high-demand weight loss treatment, among other medications that are often sought quickly, privately, or at a lower cost.
Alongside the vast network of more than 5,000 web domains selling the in-demand drugs fraudulently, Gen said, this year alone, it has already blocked 1 million attacks coming from these sites against unsuspecting online shoppers.
Laura Wilson, director at Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said fake and illegal online pharmacies “are a growing threat to patient safety”.
She explained that fraudulent medicines may be out of date, substandard or contain “dangerous” substances. Gen said its team is currently working on testing fake medications to work out what exactly they are made of.
The company advised consumers to watch out for low-cost offers for prescription-only drugs, missing contact information, requests for cryptocurrency payments, unsecured checkout processes, and prompts for sensitive personal, medical, or financial data.
Novo Nordisk, the company that makes Ozempic and Rybelsus, said it was aware that counterfeit Ozempic products are being sold in the UK and is working with health authorities, including the MHRA, to investigate the “critical issue”.
It advised people to examine packaging and pens closely before using them.
Mr Morling said the MHRA is cracking down on the issue of fake medicines and pharmacies, with offenders potentially facing criminal investigation and prosecution.
The Independent has approached Pfizer, the company that makes Viagra, for comment.
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