A shadow market for unlicensed weight-loss medications is being driven by social media fitness personalities and vendors on communication apps, according to new investigations.
Retatrutide, which is still in clinical trials, is being promoted by social media influencers for its alleged fat-burning properties. Followers are urged to contact these accounts privately for supplier links, while also receiving promotional offers.
Separately, a robust trade exists on Telegram, where groups with thousands of members share “before and after” photos, injection guides and claims of next-day British shipping. Vendors promote the drug there before redirecting buyers to other platforms for transactions.
This medication is an experimental injectable created by American pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly. The drug affects three intestinal hormones – GLP-1, GIP and pancreatic hormone. Preliminary studies suggest it could help patients lose up to a quarter of their body weight. Referred to as the “triple G”, the drug is being promoted online as the next Ozempic.
However, physicians and pharmacists have cautions that the sale of what is still an unapproved medication in the UK is worrisome and could result in individuals injecting substances of unknown origin.
Several experts stated the popularity for retatrutide could be linked to the rising price of licensed slimming treatments such as Mounjaro.
Marketing the unapproved drug on TikTok or messaging apps is illegal in the United Kingdom, as it is an unlicensed drug that must not be promoted or supplied for personal consumption under the British medical regulations.
Several content creators attempt to sidestep the regulations by calling to the drug as a “research chemical” or citing it as “not for human consumption”. Retatrutide is not a controlled substance, but advertising and distribution can still breach pharmaceutical, advertising, and customer regulations, risking fines, legal action or imprisonment.
According to TikTok, the platform has taken down problematic material and prohibited associated keywords and search suggestions. The company stated it was dedicated to maintaining the service secure and allocating resources in strengthening compliance measures.
Research also found groups with up to 9,000 participants marketing retatrutide using Telegram's integrated discovery tool, which functions like a online catalog. Typing “retatrutide” instantly brings up channels with numerous of users, populated with photos of weight loss, glowing testimonials and detailed guides for mixing or injecting at residence.
Within moments of joining one community, a vendor posted contact information, where the majority of transactions take place. The vendor provided an guidebook and guaranteed delivery within 48 hours. When questioned whether the product was genuine, one seller responded: “You can’t be sure.” Another provided a image of a supposed testing documentation. None asked about body mass, health issues or previous experience.
Inside these communities, messages display dark colored parcels with Royal Mail labels, stating to contain fresh supplies. One communication stated: “It took eight of us to load them this morning.”
Buyers can choose between powder vials, mixed at residence with sterile water, or pre-filled injectors usually sold at £160 for 20mg. When asked how much time a pen should last, sellers give conflicting responses ranging from a few weeks to “depends on your body”.
A spokesperson for the messaging service said it actively monitored harmful content on its service including material that encouraged the “misuse of controlled medications”. The organization noted that it eliminated “millions of pieces of harmful content each day”.
“Individuals are injecting materials they can’t verify. Even if the science behind retatrutide is sound, these online versions may not include what they claim,” said Jason Murphy, the head of pharmaceutical services at Chemist4U.
A medical professional of an online medical service connected the surge in demand to current price rises for authorized slimming drugs such as Mounjaro. “With costs increasing, patients are turning to social media. But fake treatments are extremely dangerous. You can’t be certain what’s inside or whether the environment they were produced in was clean,” she said.
Her staff has previously seen patients harmed by personal administration from unverified suppliers. “We understand the disappointment, but buying from messaging apps or WhatsApp is gambling with your well-being,” said the doctor. “These materials could be contaminated or improperly measured.”
A spokesperson from the pharmaceutical company said retatrutide was in phase 3 research studies and had not been evaluated or approved by any government authority globally. “Therefore at this point no one can sell [it] for personal consumption,” they explained, adding that any item “misleadingly claiming itself as a company experimental substance not yet authorized … may subject users to potentially significant medical dangers”.
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