Are You Ordering Risky Weight-Loss Drugs? A UK Death & US Warning Put Spotlight On Dangerous Trend

A British mum-of-two died suddenly at the age of 34 recently after allegedly falling violently ill following the consumption of a weight-loss drug called ‘skinny drops’. 

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This recent piece of news may sadden or scare you, especially if you self-medicate and consider it safe to consume slimming pills or drops without the proper supervision of a medical practitioner. A British mum-of-two died suddenly at the age of 34 after allegedly falling violently ill following the consumption of a weight-loss drug called ‘skinny drops’. According to the UK daily Metro, Sarah Thompson, a cancer survivor, had battled obesity since her treatment, which involved surgery and the removal of her voice box and made it difficult for her to exercise. 

Sarah is suspected to have died due to the side-effects of a drug that reportedly helped her drop from nearly 98 kg to 69 kg in a month’s time. Metro reports that it was later discovered the drops contained Clenbuterol, a Class C controlled drug in the UK (illegal to possess without a prescription and illegal to supply or sell) and dangerous if not taken properly.

Sarah was so happy with the results — despite the violent manner in which it shook her system (vomiting, nausea, listlessness, racing heart etc.) — that she even recommended the drops to her 26-year-old sister. The latter, however, got petrified when she suffered an uncontrolled racing of the heart and severe body shakes, and quickly quit the drug. 

While there is no official report yet on what caused Sarah’s death, her family blames the drug and her refusal to see a doctor for the ensuing symptoms. 

The global weight-loss services market was valued at $36.31 billion in 2023, and projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.6% from 2024 to 2030, spurred on by the increasing obesity index globally. The rise in the adoption of online weight-loss programmes and the rise in disposable income in developing countries are the main factors driving the market growth, say reports. 

FDA Warning Letters

That leaves the consumer of unregulated drugs vulnerable to life-threatening consequences. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Tuesday it has sent warning letters to four companies for selling unapproved versions of GLP-1 drugs, including semaglutide and tirzepatide, the active ingredients in popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs, reports Reuters.

The letters were issued to Xcel Peptides, Swisschems, Summit Research and Prime Peptides last week after the US health regulator conducted a review of their respective websites in October. Users place orders on these websites despite the sellers stating in bold that their products are labelled “research-use only” or “not for human consumption or clinical use”. Reuters reports that evidence gathered by the FDA establishes that these products are actually intended to be used as drugs for humans.

Semaglutide is an active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Ozempic, while Eli Lilly’s diabetes drug, sold as Mounjaro, and weight-loss drug, Zepbound, use the ingredient tirzepatide. Some of the websites were also offering retatrutide, Eli Lilly’s experimental next generation weight-loss drug, adds the Reuters report.

ABP Live has reached Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly for comments on this report. According to reports, Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, a prescription drug available only on the recommendations of an authorised medical practitioner, is yet to be launched in India (set for 2025 launch). 

As per a report in Forbes, researchers from the University of Rhode Island carried out a study funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and sent out a strongly worded warning about risks of kidney, liver, and other organ damage from one of the most popular weight drugs on the market, which goes by the prescription brand name Xenical and the over-the-counter name Alli. The researchers said it can cause “severe toxicity” to major internal organs.

The best practice is to never self-prescribe or fall for the so-called “herbal”, “no-side-effects” promises made by sellers who are not qualified medical practitioners. 

The author is an independent journalist.