3 simple ways to spot fake weight loss jabs after Mounjaro price hike
A former Big Brother star has said she "thought she was going to die" after taking a "fake" weight loss jab amid fears of a spike in black market demand as the price of Mounjaro is due to almost triple in the UK.
Aisleyne Horgan Wallace told Good Morning Britain she suffered an adverse reaction when she bought the jab online.
She said she temporarily lost her sight in one eye, suffered extreme vomiting and was in excruciating pain from the jab.
Wallace said she took several doses before one left her bedridden and in and out of consciousness for several days.
She has now warned about the dangers of counterfeit jabs after admitting it was a "foolish thing to do."
Their high cost and limited availability have led to a flourishing black market for fake jabs.
The National Pharmacy Association has warned about the risk of buying the jabs online without consulting a medical professional.
In May, ITV News analysed some fake jabs they acquired at a "skinny jab party" and found they contained none of the active ingredients that contribute to weight loss.
But there are fears that black market problems will get worse before they get better as Mounjaro's producer, Eli Lilly, is set to increase prices in the UK.
Eli Lilly has said it will increase its prices in the UK from September after Donald Trump ramped up pressure on US pharmaceutical companies.
The US president has promised to stop the disparity between what Americans pay for US-produced drugs compared to other countries, which often pay far less.
The Rand Corporation think tank has said that US consumers pay three times more for drugs than in other developed countries.
Trump has urged companies to close the gap and has threatened reprisals for those who do not do it voluntarily.
There are fears that, rather than lowering the US price, drug companies will just raise their global price to meet Trump's demands, as appears to be the case with Eli Lilly.
How much is Mounjaro increasing?
Eli Lilly has said it will increase the price of the drug from September by 170%.
A month's supply of the highest dose is rising from £122 to £330.
Eli Lilly said the NHS would not pay for a higher price, so it will still be prescribed for people with obesity and type 2 diabetes.
It will be the people who buy the jab privately through pharmacies or online stores that pay the higher price.
The company has said private healthcare providers will be able to negotiate their own prices for purchasing the drug.
Mounjaro is seen as the best weight-loss drug available by some, although Wegovy, made by Danish company Novodisk, has seen a huge surge in demand as a result of the price rises.
A trial comparing the drugs found that people who took Mounjaro over 72 weeks lost 22.8kg compared to 15kg for people who took Wegovy.
This has all led to a surge in people being uncompromising in their desire for Mounjaro and has led to many looking for alternative ways to secure their jabs.
Medical professionals warn about people turning to counterfeits
The price increase has led to people purchasing as many Mounjaro jabs as possible, but medical professionals have warned to be careful where you buy them from.
Professor Claire Anderson, president of the Royal Pharmacist Society (RPS), told the Independent: "Counterfeit medicines from unregulated sources pose serious health risks - they can contain incorrect doses, harmful substances or no active ingredient at all."
Jason Murphy, Head of Pharmacy at online retailer Chemist4U, said: "With the recent price hikes, we're likely to see more and more people turning to unregulated sellers because the medication may be cheaper.
"This is extremely unsafe as many of these sources distribute counterfeit versions of Mounjaro, which pose serious risks to your health."
The National Pharmacy Association has urged the government to improve regulation around online purchase of weight loss jabs to ensure people get the proper medical advice when buying them.
How to spot fake weight loss jabs
Chemist4U said there were three main identifiers to suggest a jab is fake.
First, cost is a big one, the price of these jabs is set at certain points, with most retailers selling them at only a small profit.
If you see one for considerably cheaper than normal, ask yourself how the seller got this from the manufacturer cheaper than large high street chains did.
Secondly, currently in the UK Wegovy and Mounjaro are prescription-only medicines and can only be issued after a consultation.
You can buy them from stores like Boots or Asda Pharmacy, but they will require a medical consultation first.
If a vendor is selling them without this step, then you should steer clear of buying them.
Finally, they will also look different. Chemist4U says "the materials used for real pens feel solid and well made, whereas a fake pen is likely to feel cheap, flimsy and have more obvious flaws like uneven colouring, rough edges or loose parts".
They also point out that the real pens each have a unique serial number, whereas fake ones will not have one or a fake one.
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