An underground market for unapproved slimming medications is being driven by TikTok fitness influencers and vendors on messaging platforms, based on new investigations.
The experimental drug, which is still in research studies, is being promoted by social media influencers for its supposed fat-burning properties. Followers are urged to contact these profiles privately for supplier links, while also obtaining discount codes.
Additionally, a flourishing trade exists on Telegram, where groups with thousands of members share comparison images, administration instructions and claims of rapid UK delivery. Sellers market the drug there before redirecting buyers to WhatsApp for purchases.
This medication is an experimental injection developed by US drugmaker Eli Lilly. The treatment targets three intestinal hormones – glucagon-like peptide-1, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and pancreatic hormone. Preliminary studies suggest it could assist individuals reduce up to 25% of their total weight. Nicknamed the “triple G”, the drug is being promoted digitally as the next Ozempic.
Nevertheless, physicians and pharmacists have cautions that the distribution of what remains an unlicensed medication in the UK is worrisome and could lead to individuals administering products of uncertain source.
Some professionals stated the popularity for retatrutide could be connected to the rising price of approved slimming products such as Mounjaro.
Marketing the unapproved drug on TikTok or messaging apps is prohibited in the United Kingdom, as it is an unlicensed medication that cannot be promoted or distributed for personal consumption under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.
Some content creators attempt to sidestep the regulations by referring to the substance as a “research chemical” or citing it as “not for human consumption”. The substance is not a controlled drug, but promotion and supply can still violate pharmaceutical, marketing, and consumer regulations, potentially leading to fines, prosecution or prison.
According to TikTok, the platform has removed violative content and banned related hashtags and search suggestions. The organization stated it was committed to maintaining the platform safe and investing in enhancing enforcement strategies.
Investigations also discovered communities with up to nine thousand members selling retatrutide using Telegram's built-in discovery tool, which operates like a public directory. Typing “retatrutide” immediately brings up groups with thousands of members, populated with images of slimming results, glowing reviews and step-by-step instructions for mixing or administering at home.
Within moments of joining one group, a seller posted contact information, where the majority of transactions take place. The seller provided an instruction manual and promised delivery within 48 hours. When questioned whether the substance was genuine, one seller said: “You can’t be sure.” Another shared a photo of a supposed testing documentation. None asked about weight, medical conditions or previous experience.
Inside these communities, messages display dark colored packages with postal service stickers, claiming to contain fresh supplies. One message read: “It took eight of us to load them this morning.”
Buyers can select between powder vials, mixed at home with purified liquid, or ready-to-use pens typically priced at £160 for 20 milligrams. When questioned how long a injector should last, vendors give contradictory answers varying between a few weeks to “depends on your body”.
A spokesperson for Telegram said it regularly moderated dangerous material on its service including content that promoted the “misuse of controlled medications”. The organization noted that it removed “millions of pieces of harmful content each day”.
“People are administering materials they cannot confirm. Even if the research behind retatrutide is valid, these online products may not include what they advertise,” stated Jason Murphy, the director of pharmaceutical services at Chemist4U.
Dr Crystal Wyllie of Asda Online Doctor linked the increase in interest to recent cost increases for authorized slimming drugs such as Mounjaro. “With costs rising, individuals are using online platforms. But fake injections are highly risky. You can’t be certain what’s inside or whether the conditions they were made in was sterile,” she explained.
Her team has already seen patients harmed by self-injection from unconfirmed sources. “We understand the frustration, but buying from Telegram or communication platforms is taking chances with your well-being,” stated Wyllie. “These substances could be contaminated or improperly measured.”
A spokesperson from Eli Lilly said the substance was in phase 3 clinical trials and had not been evaluated or authorized by any government authority anywhere in the world. “Therefore at this time no one can market [it] for human use,” they explained, adding that any product “misleadingly claiming itself as a Lilly experimental substance not yet approved … may expose patients to possibly significant health risks”.
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