More than 250 websites selling fake weight-loss drugs

A cybersecurity firm BrandShield has taken down more than 250 websites selling fake versions of popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs in the GLP-1 class, the company’s CEO Yoav Keren told Reuters.

BrandShield, which shared this information exclusively with Reuters, said that out of the 279 pharmacy websites the company closed last year for selling drugs intended to treat metabolic conditions, more than 90% were related to GLP-1 medicines, according to Keren.

Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound are GLP-1 drugs, which were developed for type 2 diabetes but also reduce food cravings and cause the stomach to empty more slowly.

The drugs have been shown to help patients lose on average as much as 20% of their weight, fueling explosive demand and a burgeoning global market for fake versions.

Cases of harm linked to fake versions of Ozempic and other GLP-1s have been reported in at least nine countries, including Belgium, Britain, Switzerland and the United States.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see criminals try to use the growing popularity of these drugs to sell more counterfeits,” said Keren.

Websites taken down for selling bogus GLP-1s represented just over 15% of the 1,655 websites BrandShield reported last year for peddling counterfeit drugs in areas, including hormone-related drugs, central nervous system medicines and cancer treatments.