Urgent medical alert over these weight loss jabs as 'they can kill you'

Experts from a weight loss medication provider have warned people to be wary of certain weight loss products. Healthcare group CheqUp has issued a word of caution for people shopping around online for alternative weight loss medication, as the price of popular medication Mounjaro is set to jump up from September.

Toby Nicol, CEO of the group, warned that "cowboy operators" are taking advantage of this, offering bogus medication that could be very dangerous to take. He said: "Often these counterfeits look like the real thing to all but the trained eye.

"That is what makes them so dangerous. The contents are anyone’s guess – sometimes it’s the wrong drug, often nothing at all. But in the worst cases, it can be something really quite nasty."

He warned that fake semaglutide and tripeptide medications often come from unregulated manufacturing hubs based overseas, with minimal oversight or qualify control over the product.

The company boss said you could be taking your life in your hands by injecting one of these medicines: "It’s medicine roulette, you never know what is behind that needle.

"In the very worst cases, dodgy jabs can kill you. When you buy from black markets, you have no regulatory assurance and no idea what you’re injecting. It could be anything – or it could do nothing, which would be both crushing and a waste of money."

Mr Nicol explained that these bogus products are often promoted through social media such as Instagram or TikTok, through websites or even in person.

He said: "Counterfeiters push their products on social media marketplaces, dodgy online pharmacies, and within communities. They prey on patients who are short on cash – like drug dealers or loan sharks.

"On social media it’s usually dressed up with glossy ads and fake reviews, but make no mistake it is snake oil with a sepia filter."

Mr Nicol said the key principle to remember is if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Red flags include outlandish claims, extremely low prices or if the website selling the drug is registered abroad.

Another warning sign is if a seller cannot prove they are registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council. Mr Nicol urged: "Patients should only ever buy through trusted pharmacies with clear medical oversight."