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STV NewsSehar Shahid. STV News<\/p>\nAn unlicensed weight-loss drug is being endorsed by social media influencers despite not having regulatory approval anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n
The experimental medication retatrutide, nicknamed the \u201cTriple G\u201d of weight-loss treatments, is still in clinical trials but has been described by some as a potential breakthrough if officially licensed.<\/p>\n
Unlike existing prescription options, it acts on three receptors and hormones \u2013 GLP-1, GIP and glucagon \u2013 that work together to suppress appetite and regulate metabolism.<\/p>\n
Supporters claim it could become the most effective slimming drug on the market if approved, but health experts warn that buying or using it at the moment poses serious risks.<\/p>\n
STV News has seen numerous websites claiming to sell retatrutide for \u201cresearch purposes only\u201d.<\/p>\n
Sehar Shahid, who owns 24hr Pharmacy in Glasgow, said she\u2019s seen a huge influx in the number of people asking about retatrutide since the price of Mounjaro increased last month.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been one of the common questions I get asked about recently over the last few weeks,\u201d she told STV News.<\/p>\n
STV NewsSehar Shahid. STV News<\/p>\n
\u201cMy concerns are obviously patients are accessing what they think is a drug when it\u2019s not yet approved, so it makes you wonder if it\u2019s not yet licensed and approved, what is it you\u2019re actually using, where are you getting it from, because it\u2019ll be an unregulated supplier.<\/p>\n
\u201cRetatrutide, once approved will be a prescription only medication, it has to be initiated with a proper consultation with a medically trained provider so whatever it is that they\u2019re taking, are they making it up correctly? That\u2019s a whole issue in itself.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018People thought I was a good laugh, but I was dying inside\u2019<\/p>\n
Ashley Williams from Aberdeen was at her lowest ebb when she decided to buy what she thought was semaglutide \u2013 the active ingredient in the weight-loss drug Wegovy \u2013 from an Instagram page.<\/p>\n
She told STV News: \u201cI was the smiley, bubbly, fat girl that people would say \u2018oh, Ashley\u2019s a good laugh\u2019 but inside I was dying.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashley weighed around 23 and a half stone at the time and says she was desperate to find a quick fix.<\/p>\n
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STV NewsAshley Williams before and after her weight loss. STV News<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was basically a page on Instagram that had come up,\u201d she said. \u201cIt came in a brown envelope, and I think it was next-day delivery.<\/p>\n
\u201cRealistically, it could have been anything; it could have been icing sugar, it could have been talcum powder, any kind of white powder, it could have been paracetamol crushed up. You\u2019re not thinking logically because you\u2019re in that desperate state of mind.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashley said she suffered no side effects and stopped using the substance when she realised it did not affect her weight.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s now been prescribed Mounjaro, a regulated weight-loss injection, and has lost seven-and-a-half stone over the past year.<\/p>\n
However, she was recently contacted on TikTok by people asking her to promote another drug \u2013 retatrutide \u2013 in exchange for \u00a330 for every pen sold.<\/p>\n
Despite the drug not being approved for human use, Ashley was told by sellers that it was genuine and safe.<\/p>\n
She added: \u201cUnlike when I first used semaglutide, bought through a dodgy channel, they do look really professional, they do look quite similar to your Wegovy, Mounjaro, they come in a pen, they come boxed, the websites look professional, it\u2019s scary.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know it\u2019s tempting, I know it\u2019s a horrible position to be in, but don\u2019t do it because it\u2019s not worth it. We\u2019re trying to be healthy and that\u2019s why we\u2019re taking the medication. We\u2019re trying to extend our lives, not cut it short because we\u2019re trying to save a few quid.\u201d<\/p>\n
Drug available online for between \u00a3150 and \u00a3340<\/p>\n
STV News found a website claiming to sell retatrutide for anywhere between \u00a3150 and \u00a3340.<\/p>\n
When we clicked on the cheapest one \u2013 a 20-milligram dose \u2013 the description said it was a \u201cpre-filled research device\u201d produced only for laboratory research and was not for human or veterinary consumption.<\/p>\n
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STV News<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a major contradiction to videos on social media advertising the product for weight loss and showing before and after pictures with a 10% discount code.<\/p>\n
We were also told an order would arrive in just one to two days.<\/p>\n
Sellers are sourcing the drug in bulk from Asia<\/p>\n
Dr Luke Turnock, a senior lecturer in Criminology at the University of Lincoln, says his research suggests sellers are sourcing the drug in bulk from China.<\/p>\n
He told STV News: \u201cIf you are buying in bulk, you could get vials of \u2018reta\u2019 for as cheap as \u00a31.50 a vial if you\u2019re buying 10,000 of them, so it\u2019s very cheap for people to buy, import it, and then of course that means it can get sold on the market level for much cheaper.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause it\u2019s not yet gone through all the clinical trials, they sell it as a \u2018research chemical\u2019 so they kind of have that excuse of \u2018well it\u2019s not a scheduled drug, it\u2019s not a prescription-only medicine, we\u2019re selling it for research purposes.\u201d<\/p>\n
What are the manufacturers of retatrutide saying?<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for Eli Lilly said: \u201cretatrutide is an investigational molecule that\u00a0Lilly\u00a0is studying for the treatment of obesity \u2013 it is in phase 3 clinical trials and is not available to patients outside of these trials.<\/p>\n
\u201cRetatrutide has not been reviewed or approved by the FDA, EMA, or any regulatory agency anywhere in the world, and therefore, at this time, no one can sell retatrutide for human use.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny product falsely representing itself as a\u00a0Lilly\u00a0investigational product not yet approved by regulators, like retatrutide, may expose patients to potentially serious health risks.\u201d<\/p>\n
And what about the medicines regulator?<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said: \u201cOutside of authorised clinical trials, any products being sold in the UK that claim to contain retatrutide are likely to be illegal\u202fand are potentially dangerous to your health. \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMany authorised weight loss medicines are prescription-only, meaning that a consultation with a doctor or qualified healthcare professional is needed to assess the patient\u2019s suitability for the treatment and consider any potential risks.<\/p>\n
\u202f\u201dSourcing weight loss medicines from unregulated suppliers significantly increases the risk of getting a product which is either falsified or not approved for use.<\/p>\n
\u201cProducts bought in\u202fthis way\u202fwill not meet the\u00a0MHRA\u2019s strict\u202fsafety and quality standards and could expose patients to incorrect dosages or dangerous ingredients.\u201d<\/p>\n
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