Dying to be thin? The FDA must regulate counterfeit weight loss drugs, says

Last year, I joined a gym for my New Year’s resolution, and even though I’ve been going regularly for more than a year now, I’ll be honest: The idea of taking a weight-loss drug like Ozempic or Wegovy instead of sweating it out on a treadmill is a strong temptation — particularly during Sac’s hot summer months when I just want to lay under an air conditioning vent until October.

But I actually tried Ozempic for weight loss a few years ago on a doctor’s recommendation and prescription.

I hated it.

It made me incredibly nauseous and dizzy, and having to inject myself weekly with needles gave me serious pause. After taking it, I’d have to lie down immediately for several long minutes or risk fainting, feeling the whole time like I was about to lose my lunch, until the nausea passed.

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Yet in spite of that experience, I still get it; I understand why more than 15.5 million American adults have tried weight loss injectables, according to a Gallup poll. It is so much easier than lugging myself to the gym several times a week. But as these drugs become more popular, counterfeit versions have proliferated online, and people are quite literally dying to be skinny.

This week, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, as part of a coalition of 38 states and territories, has called on the Food and Drug Administration to work with the Department of Homeland Security to intercept counterfeit weight-loss drugs before they reach consumers. The letter also urges the FDA to continue sending warning letters to online retailers that are illegally selling injectable weight loss drugs to consumers without a prescription, presumably because the upheaval at many federal departments puts that continued effort at risk.

“My fellow attorneys general and I are urging the FDA to protect consumers from the growing threat posed by adulterated or counterfeit versions of these drugs,” Bonta said.

“From inspections to enforcement actions, the FDA has several important tools at its disposal to help put an end to this unlawful and deceptive conduct. A federal response is necessary because many of the counterfeit drugs are shipped from outside of the country.”

Patients are simply not equipped to easily identify counterfeit weight loss drugs. Some doctors have even reported comas and fatalities due to knock-off brands. The FDA reported that as of November 2024, they had received more than 392 reports of adverse events with compounded semaglutide and another 215 reports of adverse events with compounded Tirzepatide, another compounding agent used in weight loss injectables. (Compounded medications are prepared by a pharmacy, rather than by a pharmaceutical manufacturer.)

Here in Sacramento, doctors have already reported hospitalizations due to these counterfeit injectables: Dr. Daniel K. Colby is an emergency medicine physician at UC Davis Health specializing in medical toxicology. He said he has treated several patients with adverse reactions to counterfeit weight loss injectable medicines, “primarily (an) infection at the injection site.”

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“The safest way to get these medications is through a reputable pharmacy,” Colby said.

I decided to stop taking Ozempic because I didn’t like the way it made me feel, but the pull of a skinny body is strong. Especially for women, there’s a lot of societal pressure to look a certain way. Too often, chasing that goal can damage our health in search of a quick fix. But the entire point of the FDA is to regulate bad actors in our food and drug markets and help Americans make healthier choices.

It is long past time that the FDA regulates compounded semaglutide and Tirzepatide — and saves lives.

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