Regulator warns of 'sharp rise' in illegal meds sold in EU

The EMA has issued a warning to the public about a "growing threat" of illegal medicines being advertised and sold online across the EU.

The EU regulator's warning focused particularly on illegal medicines marketed as GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide, liraglutide and tirzepatide for weight loss and diabetes.

"These products, often sold via fraudulent websites and promoted on social media, are not authorised and do not meet necessary standards of quality, safety and efficacy," said the EMA in a statement.

"Such illegal products pose a serious risk to public health. "They may not contain the claimed active substance at all and may contain harmful levels of other substances," it continued. "People who use these products are therefore at a very high risk of treatment failure, unexpected and serious health problems and dangerous interactions with other medicines."

The genuine products are sold by Novo Nordisk as Wegovy/Ozempic (semaglutide) and Victoza/Saxenda (liraglutide) and by Eli Lilly as Mounjaro (tirzepatide).

Last week, cybersecurity brand Avast reported that criminal networks are running a global scam involving more than 5,000 pharmacy sites peddling counterfeit versions of Mounjaro, in response to efforts by consumers to source the drug outside regular channels as Lilly raised the price of the medicine in some European markets.

The EMA gives the following advice on warning signs that a medicine may be illegal:

• it is advertised as “endorsed” by a national authority or features official logos of a national authority or EMA;
• it is sold through unofficial websites or social media platforms;
• it is claimed to be superior to authorised treatments without scientific evidence;
• it is not available through licensed pharmacies or healthcare providers;
• the website offering it does not have the common EU logo or is not listed on a national register.

Photo by Adem AY on Unsplash