An underground economy for unlicensed weight-loss drugs is being driven by TikTok fitness influencers and sellers on communication apps, based on recent findings.
The experimental drug, which remains in clinical trials, is being promoted by social media influencers for its supposed weight-reducing properties. Followers are urged to contact these profiles directly for supplier links, while also receiving discount codes.
Additionally, a robust market exists on messaging services, where groups with thousands of members share comparison photos, injection guides and assertions of rapid UK delivery. Sellers market the substance there before redirecting customers to other platforms for purchases.
This medication is an experimental injection developed by US drugmaker Eli Lilly. The treatment targets three gut hormones – glucagon-like peptide-1, GIP and pancreatic hormone. Preliminary studies indicate it could help individuals lose up to a quarter of their body weight. Nicknamed the “triple G”, the drug is being hailed online as the next Ozempic.
Nevertheless, doctors and chemists have warned that the sale of what is still an unapproved drug in the UK is a cause for concern and could lead to users administering substances of unknown origin.
Some professionals stated the popularity for retatrutide could be connected to the rising cost of licensed slimming products such as Mounjaro.
Selling the unapproved drug on TikTok or Telegram is prohibited in the United Kingdom, as it is an unlicensed medication that must not be promoted or supplied for human use under the British medical regulations.
Some influencers attempt to circumvent the regulations by calling to the drug as a “research chemical” or describing it as “not for human consumption”. The substance is not a controlled drug, but promotion and supply can still breach medicines, marketing, and customer regulations, risking penalties, prosecution or imprisonment.
According to the social media company, the service has taken down problematic material and prohibited related hashtags and search suggestions. The company said it was committed to maintaining the service safe and investing in strengthening compliance measures.
Investigations also found groups with up to 9,000 members selling retatrutide using the platform's integrated discovery tool, which operates like a online catalog. Entering “retatrutide” instantly displays groups with numerous of users, filled with photos of slimming results, positive reviews and step-by-step guides for mixing or administering at residence.
Within moments of joining one community, a vendor shared contact information, where most purchases take place. The vendor provided an guidebook and guaranteed shipping within two days. When asked whether the substance was authentic, one vendor said: “You can’t be sure.” Another provided a photo of a alleged laboratory certificate. None asked about weight, health issues or previous experience.
Within these communities, messages show black plastic packages with Royal Mail labels, claiming to include new batches. One communication stated: “It took eight of us to load them this morning.”
Buyers can choose between dry substance containers, prepared at residence with sterile water, or pre-filled pens typically priced at £160 for 20mg. When asked how long a pen should be used, sellers give conflicting answers varying between a few weeks to “depends on your body”.
A representative for Telegram said it regularly monitored dangerous material on its service including content that promoted the “misuse of controlled medications”. The company noted that it eliminated “millions of pieces of harmful content each day”.
“Individuals are administering materials they cannot confirm. Even if the science behind this drug is valid, these online products may not contain what they advertise,” said Jason Murphy, the head of pharmacy at a pharmacy service.
Dr Crystal Wyllie of an online medical service linked the surge in demand to recent cost increases for approved slimming medications such as Mounjaro. “With costs rising, individuals are turning to social media. But counterfeit treatments are highly risky. You cannot know what’s inside or whether the environment they were made in was sterile,” she said.
Her staff has previously encountered patients injured by self-injection from unconfirmed suppliers. “We recognize the disappointment, but purchasing from messaging apps or communication platforms is gambling with your health,” stated the doctor. “These materials could be impure or incorrectly dosed.”
A representative from Eli Lilly said the substance was in phase 3 research studies and had not been reviewed or authorized by any government authority anywhere in the world. “Consequently at this time no one can sell [it] for human use,” they said, noting that any item “falsely representing itself as a Lilly experimental product not yet authorized … may expose users to possibly significant health risks”.
Elena Vance is a digital strategist and creative director with over a decade of experience in transforming brands through innovative design.