(the following is a news release from the office of the Colorado Attorney General)
Feb. 21, 2025 (DENVER) — Attorney General Phil Weiser has joined a bipartisan coalition of states and territories urging the Food and Drug Administration to take swift action (opens new tab) against bad actors who are endangering consumers with counterfeit forms of the GLP-1 weight loss and diabetes drugs Mounjaro, Zepbound, Ozempic, and Wegovy.
“The popularity of these drugs has created an opening for scammers and other bad actors looking to make a quick buck, and I am urging the FDA to do more to protect consumers,” Weiser said. “While I hope the FDA ramps up enforcement to respond to the rise in counterfeit GLP-1 drugs, I am also warning Coloradans who want these popular medications to exercise caution. Only take medicine as prescribed by your doctor and be wary of ads on social media promising easier or cheaper access to these drugs.”
According to the letter signed by 37 attorneys general, as demand for the popular medications has led to supply shortages, counterfeit versions of the injectable weight loss drugs containing contaminants and dangerous levels of active ingredients have made their way into the U.S. supply chain from countries like China and India. Scammers have also reportedly (opens new tab) repackaged insulin to falsely sell it as Ozempic.
This is especially dangerous because most consumers are not able to tell the difference between real and counterfeit drugs, and those who inject the fake GLP-1s can experience serious health risks, including hospitalization.
In addition to toughening enforcement against scammers and bad foreign actors, the attorneys general are also asking the FDA to ramp up efforts to enforce regulations of compounding pharmacies—pharmaceutical outlets which can produce drugs that are not FDA-approved. While many compounding pharmacies abide by the law and the best practices of their industry, some cut corners and put consumers at risk. The letter references an example of “adulterated” compounded drugs causing a fungal meningitis outbreak in 2012 that killed at least 60 people and sickened hundreds more.
The letter makes clear that while the attorneys general play a role in protecting consumers who reside in their jurisdictions, the federal government must work concurrently with them, and the FDA has the authority to lead the campaign against these dangerous counterfeit GLP-1 drugs.
Colorado co-led the coalition with South Carolina, Illinois, and Tennessee. Also joining are Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
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