'Knockoff' weight loss drugs can be life-threatening. CT’s attorney general wants the FDA to crack down
Patients are turning to unregulated online pharmacies for cheaper versions of GLP-1 drugs. Attorney General William Tong said they are dangerous – and hard to keep out of Connecticut.
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Connecticut is urging the Food and Drug Administration to crack down on dangerous knockoff versions of popular weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.
Attorney General William Tong said the drugs are unregulated – and difficult to keep out of Connecticut.
“KNOCKOFF” WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS
GLP-1 drugs promise fast weight loss, but they can cost hundreds of dollars out-of-pocket. To save money, some patients turn to online “compound pharmacies,” which are supposed to only mix limited doses of specialty prescriptions for patients with specific medical needs.
When Tong went shopping, his team was shocked at what they found.
“We got in the mail, through our investigation, a box from Triggered Brands. And it was like a little medication vial – it looks like something you’d see in a hospital – and a powder and some instructions,” Tong said. “And there were instructions on how you’re supposed to mix this up at home yourself and then inject it into your body.”
Tong sued and was able to shut the website down. But dozens more are still selling so-called “research grade” GLP-1 drugs.
“For me, it’s like a game of Whack-a-Mole,” Tong told reporters. “As soon as you go after one, somebody else pops up and is doing the same thing.”
AGs, DRUG MAKERS CALL FOR ACTION
Tong and 37 other attorneys general are asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to step up enforcement efforts.
So is Sen. Richard Blumenthal.
“The FDA has fallen down on the job,” he said. “It has failed to properly regulate these compounded weight loss drugs.”
Drug makers also want the feds to crack down. In an open letter, Eli Lilly warned that mixing tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Zepbound, with B12 vitamins can lead to "dangerous interactions."
“Lilly has repeatedly expressed grave concerns about the safety of mass-compounded knockoffs,” the pharmaceutical giant said. “Our testing has uncovered significant levels of an impurity that results from a chemical reaction between tirzepatide and B12.”
The FDA received 545 reports of adverse events associated with compounded tirzepatide as of July 2025, according to the agency.
FDA: "WE TAKE SERIOUSLY"
Federal authorities insisted they are taking the threat seriously.
The FDA announced a crackdown in February, including added surveillance of GLP-1 ingredients coming into U.S. ports of entry. The agency has also sent warning letters to companies distributing active pharmaceutical ingredients, such as retatrutide and certain other GLP-1 drugs.
"We take seriously any potential violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act," the agency’s website states. “The FDA will use all available compliance and enforcement tools within its authorities to address unsubstantiated claims and associated public health concerns."
The FDA encourages patients to be vigilant and know the source of their medicine:
Carefully check labels of compounded GLP-1 drugs for warning signs such as spelling errors or incorrect addresses and ensure your medicine is provided by a licensed pharmacy and prescribed by a licensed health care provider.
If you receive a product with a licensed pharmacy name on the label that you think might be fraudulent, contact the pharmacy to ask if it is their product.
Talk to your doctor if you have questions about your medicines.
Visit FDA’s BeSafeRx campaign for resources to safely buy prescription medicines online.
