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Extra.ie
4 days ago
- Health
- Extra.ie
Watchdog issues urgent warning over ads for fake weight-loss drugs
The medicines watchdog has issued an urgent warning about a deluge of social media advertisements for counterfeit weight-loss drugs which 'pose a health risk' to the public. The advertisements flogging fake versions of drugs such as semaglutide and tirzepatide – the active ingredients in weight-loss wonder jabs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro – falsely claim they have been endorsed by health authorities and manufactured in Ireland. The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) said it has identified a 'significant increase' in the number of ads for the drugs, which are exploiting the watchdog's logo. Some of the bogus ads for the drugs which show fake endorsements from the HPRA and others. The HPRA said the 'unacceptable use' of its logo and name in this way is clearly designed to deceive and mislead consumers. The regulator has urged the public not to purchase from 'untrustworthy suppliers both engaged in illegal advertising and offering fake or unauthorised products that could pose a health risk'. Other regulatory bodies internationally are being targeted in a similar way as the demand for the wonder drugs continues to rise. As an independent regulator, the HPRA said it will never endorse or promote any specific health product or brand. Some of the bogus ads for the drugs which show fake endorsements from the HPRA and others. HPRA director of compliance, Gráinne Power, said: 'We know that a lot of people are being duped into purchasing fake and illegal products via these sites. Working with Revenue's Customs Service, we have detained a significant number of products at point of entry to the country. A number of these purport to be genuine prescription medicines when in fact the products as presented do not exist as an authorised product in any market. 'One notable example are transdermal delivery microneedle patches which it is claimed contain semaglutide or tirzepatide and, featuring the Irish flag, are supposedly made in Ireland. 'In addition to references to the HPRA, there are also claims these products are endorsed nationally by charities, hospitals and individual healthcare professionals. All these claims are untrue. Microneedle patches containing semaglutide, tirzepatide or any GLP-1 type medicine are not available as approved medical treatments.' This month alone, the HPRA said it had observed a major surge in misleading advertisements on social media platforms. The websites, which are hosted outside of Ireland by the e-commerce platform Shopify, are being promoted to consumers via fake Facebook profiles and ads. To date, 155 Shopify product listings, 124 Facebook profiles and 414 Facebook adverts have been identified making false claims with many also fraudulently stating that the product is endorsed by the HPRA. The medicines watchdog has issued an urgent warning about a deluge of social media advertisements for counterfeit weight-loss drugs. Pic: Getty Images The body has advised Shopify and Meta of this fraudulent activity and of the public health risks associated with illegal prescription medicines and other unregulated health products sold online. It has requested Shopify and Meta remove product listings, fake profiles and adverts from their platforms. Ms Power urged Irish consumers not to be taken in by the scam and only to source medical products from authorised places. She added: 'The key message we are highlighting today is that the HPRA never endorses individual brands, nor do we allow our logo to be used in the promotion of health products. 'Our advice to consumers is that if online sources feature a HPRA logo or suggest a HPRA endorsement, then this is actually a clear sign you are engaging with a dubious site and seller. 'At best you are wasting your money with these online scams but at worst you could be seriously endangering your health. The HPRA said it has observed a major surge in misleading advertisements on social media platforms. Pic: Getty Images 'We are advising that when it comes to prescription medicines, ensure that the product is prescribed by a healthcare professional and sourced from a local pharmacy. All medicines, medical devices and cosmetics should be purchased through trustworthy, reliable and recognised sources.' The HPRA continually monitors websites and social media channels for fake and illegal health product promotion. In 2024, 2,553 websites, e-commerce listings and/or social media pages were amended or shut down. It regularly warns the public of the dangers of purchasing prescription only medicines online. It is illegal to sell prescription medicines online and there is no guarantee of the quality, safety or effectiveness of the medicines purchased from unauthorised sources. A spokesperson for Meta, the owners of Facebook, said: 'We don't allow fraudulent activity on our platforms and have removed the ads that were reported to us by the HPRA. Scammers are relentless and constantly evolving their tactics to evade detection, which is why we continue to invest in technology to improve our detection and enforcement. If someone believes they have spotted content or an account they believe to be fake, they can report it using our in-app tools.' Last year, revealed that weight-loss drugs were being widely sold on the black market in Ireland. Drugs such as Ozempic, which has become the weight loss drug of choice for celebrities, are being peddled on social media and on clandestine websites as their popularity has soared. Leading scientists now believe that the benefits of the drug extend far beyond weight loss, with trials ongoing into treatment for illnesses such as Parkinson's and kidney disease. also exposed the unethical and illegal sale of Ozempic which was being sold through beauty salons and health clinics for up to €800 per month. ascertained that some beauty clinics as well as private sellers are charging up to €200 every week for people to take the prescription-only injection. The care packages being offered to members of the public include a guaranteed injection every week, as well as what is being described as 'aftercare' with some unqualified people instructing patients on the best way to lose weight whilst on the drug. The practice has been roundly condemned by medics. While the illegal sale and supply of the drug continues, scientists are continuing to discover unexpected side – effects of the injections. The jabs could become 'statins for cancers' after they were found to slash the risk of contracting the disease, medics said earlier this month. Scientists said the drugs, also known as GLP-1s, may be up to 41% more effective at preventing obesity-related cancer than weight loss alone, and could also help prevent other types of cancer. British researchers are planning a major trial to see if the drugs can provide a new 'weapon' in the fight against soaring cancer rates. They could potentially be prescribed long before any cancer symptoms in the same manner as statins are taken to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
The Journal
5 days ago
- Health
- The Journal
Surge in fake and misleading ads promoting medicines and cosmetics, HPRA warns
IRELAND'S HEALTH PRODUCTS watchdog has urged people to be vigilant amid a surge in advertisements of unauthorised medicines and cosmetics on e-commerce websites. The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) said today that it has observed a rise in dubious social media posts advertising medicines, medical devices and cosmetics featuring the agency's logo. Hpra says these products could pose a serious health risk to consumers, and that ads promoting them are designed in such a way as to deceive consumers. It also noted a jump in the numbers of misleading websites hosted outside of Ireland by e-commerce platform Shopify that are appearing as ads and posts on Facebook via fake profiles. An example of the kinds of ads circulating online which bear the HPRA logo. HPRA HPRA Having recorded 155 Shopify product listings, 124 Facebook profiles and 414 Facebook advertisements fraudulently claiming to be endorsed by the agency, the Hpra has contacted Shopify and Meta to warn them of the public health risks associated with the sale of illegal prescription medicines and other unregulated health products to unsuspecting customers online. It says it has requested that these platforms remove the fake product listings, profiles and adverts from their platforms. Gráinne Power, Director of Compliance at Hpra, says active measures have been taken to intercept the dissemination of the ordered products around the country. Advertisement HPRA HPRA 'Working with Revenue's Customs Service, we have detained a significant number of products at point of entry to the country,' she said. 'A number of these purport to be genuine prescription medicines when in fact the products as presented do not exist as an authorised product in any market.' Examples of products seized include transdermal delivery microneedle patches claimed to contain semaglutide or tirzepatide. In addition, they featured the Irish flag on the packaging, despite not being made in Ireland. 'The key message we are highlighting today is that the Hpra never endorses individual brands nor do we allow our logo to be used in the promotion of health products.' She says that if you spot a medical product on the internet that features any form of logo endorsement supposedly by the Hpra, it is more than likely a fake. 'At best you are wasting your money with these online scams but at worst you could be seriously endangering your health, ' she said. Hpra advises that prescription medicines must only be approved by a healthcare professional and sourced from a local pharmacy. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Extra.ie
01-05-2025
- Health
- Extra.ie
Rise in illegal weight-loss drugs being smuggled into state
An increase has been recorded in the number of illegal 'knock-off' weight-loss drugs being smuggled into the state. The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) announced yesterday that it had seized over one million units of illegal medicines in 2024, a 14% increase from the previous year. While anabolic steroids, sedatives and erectile dysfunction medication made up close to half of the seized items, there has been a sudden rise in weight-loss drug seizures in the past three years. Weight-loss drugs. Pic: Getty Images Gráinne Power, director of compliance at the HPRA, told 'We've seen the numbers increase as we've seen the rise in the public awareness over the last few years. It's certainly something that's changing more quickly than others.' In 2022, only 32 units of falsified semaglutide – the active ingredient in the prescription diabetes injection Ozempic – were seized. This rose to 286 units in 2023 and 1,225 units last year. Seizures of falsified liraglutide, another weight-loss chemical, and fake Botox have also seen significant increases in the same period. Weight-loss drugs. Pic: Natalia GH/Shutterstock Ms Power said: 'There's a general familiarity with these products and even some of the active ingredients. They wouldn't necessarily all have branded names on them. 'Some would, and they could either be products that are legitimate but that have fallen into the wrong hands or are medicines that have been made nowhere near companies that have the marketing authorisation for them. 'Whether it's an anabolic steroid, a pen that says Ozempic or a generic form of its active ingredients, they aren't legitimately on any market, so there's no safeguards in place for anyone taking them.' REPORTING BY JAMIE MCCARRON
Irish Times
30-04-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Seizures of potentially fatal ‘coffin tablet' up almost 10-fold in five years
The number of illegal or fake doses of a prescription drug often referred to as the 'coffin tablet' that were detained by the medicines watchdog has increased by 920 per cent over the past five years. On Wednesday, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) published its annual enforcement data, which show it seized more than one million units of illegal medicine in 2024, a 14 per cent increase on the previous year. Gráinne Power, director of compliance with the HPRA, said there are two concerning trends – the increasing illicit prevalence of pregablin, as well as an increase in the use of weight loss drugs. Pregablin, marketed as Lyrica, is licensed for use in Ireland, the UK and the US to treat epilepsy, nerve pain and general anxiety disorders. READ MORE However, concerns have been raised about the potential dangers of misuse of the drug after a study by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland found the drug was detected in one out of every 16 postmortem toxicology tests. According to the HPRA, there were 2,290 units of pregablin detained in 2020, but this rose to 23,442 in 2024 – an increase of 923 per cent. 'There has been a considerable uplift in pregablin since 2022 and continuing into this year. We would be really concerned about that and we are watching it very closely,' Ms Power said. 'It is serious medicine, it can cause harm. And when it's taken outside of standard medicine, it tends to be used with opioids or other drugs and creates a really dangerous cocktail.' The HPRA also noted an increase in the detention of illegal or falsified GLP-1 medications, which are used to treat diabetes and obesity – rising from 40 units in 2022 to 1,582 units last year. 'They represent a much smaller percentage, but what concerns us is the rate of change. They started to appear in 2022 and the volumes we are detaining has gone up in multiples. Because of that, it is an area we are focusing on ... it is seen as a risk to public health,' Ms Power said. Drugs affecting a person's body image make up a significant proportion of seizures, said the HPRA, with anabolic steroids, which are used to boost muscle growth, equalling almost one quarter of all detentions. A total of 203,088 units of these drugs were detained throughout 2024. 'There is nothing safe about those medicines. The way in which they tend to be used outside of medical supervision is dosages aren't managed, products are stacked,' Ms Power said. 'Ultimately, it's well documented in terms of damage to the organs of your body, effects on your mental health and mood swings, hair loss and infertility and erectile dysfunction. Individuals have lost their lives as a result of using these products.' Furthermore, the HPRA said it initiated two prosecution cases last year, one relating to anabolic steroids, and the other relating to weigh loss products. The body also amended or shutdown 2,553 websites, ecommerce listings and social media pages which were advertising fake or illegal medicines. Ms Power said cost and privacy are often reasons why people seek to procure medicines in this manner. However, she has warned the public against this, stating it is not worth the risk 'It's a global phenomenon so we're victims to an international network. There is no doubt that this represents business and profit to unscrupulous parties. It's not just individuals who have fallen outside of the regulatory process because they don't know. It is people who are actively making counterfeit medications.'
