For millions of Americans, the new class of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are as close to a miracle as modern medicine gets. Sold under brand names like Wegovy and Zepbound, these drugs have proven astoundingly successful at helping patients shed pounds.
Unfortunately, a number of unscrupulous companies have sought to capitalize on the growing demand for GLP-1s in ways putting patients at serious risk of harm. Many of these operations — including telehealth services and online pharmacies — are making their own unapproved versions of these medicines and leading patients to believe they're buying the genuine article.
To date, regulators have been sluggish in shielding patients from the dangers of unapproved GLP-1s. But Americans can no longer afford to wait for federal action. Consumer advocates, drug makers, and healthcare providers need to raise awareness of this growing threat — and pressure regulators to step in.
The benefits of GLP-1s aren't merely superficial. Obesity is linked to many chronic conditions, from high blood pressure and diabetes to cancer and even mental health issues.
So it's no mystery why a growing number of health plans are covering these drugs.
Still, many plans have held back, leaving consumers searching for ways to afford these drugs on their own.
A number of less-than-reputable companies have stepped in to meet that demand.
They're exploiting the fact that Americans expect the prescription drugs they purchase — whether branded or generic — to carry the approval of the U.S. Food and Drug administration. When patients see advertisements online offering cut-rate GLP-1s, they may assume these drugs come with the blessing of federal health and safety regulators.
But it's likely they do not.
Many of the companies bombarding consumers with advertisements are what are known as "compounding pharmacies."
These businesses frequently use ingredients sourced from unregulated labs in India or China to make their own versions of GLP-1s.
And the medicines they synthesize aren't approved by the FDA.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has seized unapproved and counterfeit GLP-1s.
Criminals have been selling patients research-grade semaglutide and tirzepatide, the active ingredients in Wegovy and Zepbound respectively; such "research use only" products should never be administered to humans, according to the Partnership for Safe Medicines.
In other words, when consumers get their weight-loss medications online, they often don't know what they're buying.
To be sure, there are legitimate compounding pharmacies that serve highly specific needs in our healthcare system.
For example, such a pharmacy might take an FDA-approved medicine only available as a pill and turn it into a liquid for someone who cannot swallow easily.
But these companies aren't engaged in the mass production or marketing of their drugs.
By contrast, the compounding pharmacies behind many of the GLP-1s sold online are selling to anyone — and producing these drugs in enormous quantities.
Some public officials are finally sounding the alarm about this threat.
Earlier this year, 38 state attorneys general signed a letter calling out dishonest compounding pharmacies and the "counterfeit GLP-1 drugs [that have] infiltrated the U.S. drug supply chain from China, Turkey, India, and other foreign countries."
The Attorneys General also note that "these counterfeits can contain contaminants, other unknown drugs, or dangerously high amounts of active ingredients," and that "scammers have also repackaged injectable insulin and falsely sold it as Ozempic."
This is deeply unsettling, especially given that it is often impossible for average consumers to spot counterfeit products.
Federal action is certainly called for. But in the meantime, other organizations and leaders will need to do their part to get this threat under control. Specifically, consumer advocates will need to urge the FDA, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, and the Federal Trade Commission to increase enforcement against bad actors peddling dangerous, subpar products to Americans.
The drug industry also has a role to play. Both generic and brand-name drug manufacturers could promote measures to distinguish trustworthy GLP-1 products from substandard or unsafe alternatives.
Without such action, Americans' prescription drug supply will remain compromised. And millions of patients will remain at unnecessary -- and potential fatal -- risk.
Sally C. Pipes is President, CEO, and Thomas W. Smith Fellow in Health Care Policy at the Pacific Research Institute. Her latest book is "The World's Medicine Chest: How America Achieved Pharmaceutical Supremacy — and How to Keep It." Follow her on X @sallypipes. Read Sally Pipes' Reports — More Here.
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