Eli Lilly has applied to the High Court of England and Wales for a blocking order against websites that sell counterfeit or unlicensed versions of its weight loss medicines.<\/p>\n
The pharmaceutical company, which makes GLP-1 jab Mounjaro and its oral version Foundayo, told C+D it is \u201ctaking action\u201d to block the \u201cblack-market websites\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is being sold on these websites is not a medicine – it is entirely unverified, unauthorised and not worth the risk,\u201d it said. <\/p>\n
Read more: From a lawyer: Can ISPs help tackle the illegal weight loss trade?<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe will continue working to protect patients and stamp out this illegal market.\u201d<\/p>\n If the injunction application is granted, it will force the UK\u2019s six main internet service providers (ISPs) \u2013 BT, EE, Plusnet, Sky UK, TalkTalk and Virgin Media \u2013 to block access to websites meeting criteria that indicates they sell counterfeit or unlicensed Eli Lilly medicines.<\/p>\n Read more: From a lawyer: Can regulators enforce weight loss drug laws?<\/a> <\/p>\n Eli Lilly confirmed that this is the first time it has applied to the High Court for this type of blocking order, but did not share which websites, or how many, it has asked to block.<\/p>\n It comes after Novo Nordisk was granted a website blocking order<\/a> in the UK involving the same six ISPs across two applications in October 2025 and June 2026.<\/p>\n Protecting trademarks<\/p>\n Eli Lilly\u2019s application to the High Court of Justice on November 5 called on the court to prevent \u201cacts of trademark infringement, passing off and contraventions of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012\u201d by the offending websites.<\/p>\n It said the websites are using the ISPs\u2019 services to infringe on Eli Lilly\u2019s UK registered trademarks, such as its company name \u2013 including just \u201cLilly\u201d \u2013 and those of its products Foundayo, KwikPen and Mounjaro.<\/p>\n It noted that a hearing \u201cmay be required\u201d because of the \u201cpotentially novel issues relative to previous website blocking applications in this area\u201d.<\/p>\n Read more: Weight loss management services must be \u2018overhauled\u2019, say MPs<\/a> <\/p>\n But the company said five of the ISPs have \u201calready indicated that they do not oppose the order sought\u201d, and it has \u201cnot received any indication\u201d that the order will be opposed by the remaining ISP.<\/p>\n In the draft order seen by C+D, Eli Lilly said it is not alleging that the ISPs have committed any copyright infringement.<\/p>\n It said Eli Lilly is responsible for \u201caccurately identifying the IP addresses and URLs which should be blocked\u201d and the ISPs have \u201cno obligation to verify\u201d whether its determination is correct.<\/p>\n Read more: Around \u00a32m of fake weight loss jabs seized in MHRA raid<\/a><\/p>\n Eli Lilly will reevaluate \u201cat least once every 14 days\u201d whether the offending websites should continue to be blocked, and provide \u201cno more than 15 target websites\u201d to be blocked or unblocked each month, it added.<\/p>\n The document said the order will end on November 4, 2028, \u201cunless the court orders otherwise\u201d, and Eli Lilly can apply to extend the order.<\/p>\n \u201cDangerous\u201d medicines<\/p>\n Last month, Eli Lilly told C+D that it had previously taken \u201clegal action\u201d, as well as \u201cissued public warnings, and removed thousands of fraudulent websites, posts and listings across more than 100 countries\u201d, to tackle the supply of fake versions of its medicines.<\/p>\n \u201cPatients should only use authentic Mounjaro and Foundayo that is prescribed by a licensed healthcare professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacy,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n It added that counterfeit medicines are \u201cdangerous\u201d and \u201cmay contain the wrong ingredients, too much, too little or no active ingredient at all\u201d, and \u201coften contain bacteria, endotoxins or other harmful contaminants\u201d.<\/p>\n Read more: UK first to approve new Eli Lilly weight loss tablet<\/a><\/p>\n Eli Lilly told C+D that its own efforts \u201calone are not enough\u201d, and praised the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency\u2019s (MHRA) warnings on \u201cthe risks of fake products and its recent raids<\/a> on manufacturers and suppliers of black-market medicines\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will keep working with regulators and law enforcement across the globe to disrupt this dangerous market,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n Novo\u2019s case<\/p>\n Eli Lilly\u2019s case follows competitor Novo Nordisk bringing a similar case to the High Court of Justice to stop Viogen Pharma, Pharma-Labs, Leo Labs and The Steroid Supplier selling counterfeit weight loss medicines on their websites.<\/p>\n The first order, granted in October 2025, concerned fake versions of Novo Nordisk\u2019s drugs Ozempic, Rybelsus, Wegovy, Victoza and Saxenda. <\/p>\n The judge presiding over the case noted that at a recent conference he had spoken at, a Novo Nordisk representative who was in the audience \u201creported that the order had proved very successful\u201d.<\/p>\n Read more: LillyDirect expands to include more UK weight loss pharmacies<\/a><\/p>\n The second order, granted in June 2026, was for a \u201cdynamic blocking\u201d order in which seven additional target websites were added to the list.<\/p>\n Novo Nordisk told C+D last month that it took action to protect patients\u2019 safety and its intellectual property rights, and said it appreciated the work of the MHRA, which supported the company\u2019s application to the court.<\/p>\n \u201cNovo Nordisk has worked closely with the MHRA on this issue,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n