South Carolina – In an important move to protect public health, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson is leading a battle against producers of counterfeit diabetes and weight loss medications. Leading a coalition including 37 states and territories, Attorney General Wilson has swiftly asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to act forcefully against the flood of harmful counterfeit drugs.
A real threat to public health
Mostly used for weight loss and diabetic management, these fake pharmaceuticals mimic well-known FDA-approved prescriptions including Mounjaro, Zepbound, Ozempic, and Wegovy. The increasing demand for these drugs has exceeded the capacity of licensed producers, which has resulted in a boom in counterfeit versions mostly coming from China and India.
Many times finding their way onto American markets, these counterfeit goods seriously compromise consumers’ health. Attorney General Wilson expressed concern over the alarming trend.
“The popularity of these drugs is growing at a rate that exceeds production by licensed manufacturers and has opened the door for copycat products from countries like China and India to flow through the U.S. supply chain that are seriously harming consumers,” said Attorney General Wilson.
Online stores the biggest problem
Online stores who unlawfully market the active components of these medications straight to customers without a prescription aggravate the issue. Many times derived from unregulated and undisclosed locations, these components carry dangers of contamination and may include potentially toxic foreign compounds.
Attaching to his efforts to address this problem, Attorney General Wilson has also issued a consumer notice specifically aimed at the sale of compounded forms of Tirzepatide and Semaglutide. Unapproved forms of these substances, including pills, sublingual drops, lozenges, films, topical skin patches, and nasal sprays, which the FDA does not approve and so provide extra health risks.
Attorney General Wilson said, “Protecting consumers is of utmost priority to me and the lengths that these counterfeiters are going to take advantage of consumers and endanger their health must be stopped.”
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FDA to move quickly and protect Americans
Wilson’s message encouraged the FDA to use its expertise and resources to stop these misleading practices and boost enforcement proceedings against compounding pharmacies illegally engaged in this sector.
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Bi-partisan effort in the name of health
The Attorney General’s office has also pushed the FDA to work with state pharmacy boards to guarantee that every compounded GLP-1 medication is made under hygienic and safe standards. Supported by several states from Alaska to Wisconsin, this coalition effort—co-led by Colorado, Illinois, and Tennessee—showcases the bipartisan commitment to address this pressing public health concern.
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Aiming to safeguard consumers from coast to coast, the efforts of Attorney General Wilson and colleagues across the nation illustrate a consistent position against the risks presented by counterfeit drugs as the FDA focuses on its next actions.
You can read the full letter here.
You can read the consumer alert here.
