UK medicines regulator, the MHRA, has carried out an extensive, two-day raid on an illicit weight loss medicines facility.
The raid, conducted by the MHRA’s Criminal Enforcement Unit (CEU) with support from Northamptonshire Police, uncovered a large-scale operation involving tens of thousands of empty injection pens, raw chemical ingredients, and over 2,000 unlicensed retatrutide and tirzepatide pens.
Retatrutide is a triple glucagon hormone receptor agonist targeting three different pathways including GLP-1. It is still in clinical development, and so may not be supplied other than for use in authorised clinical trials. Tirzepatide is the active ingredient in Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro®.
The MHRA considers this to be a significant milestone in enforcement, estimating that the street value of the finished products would exceed £250,000. The CEU also recovered cash, sophisticated packaging and production equipment.
This operation reflects the MHRA’s strategic commitment to tackling medicines crime through intelligence-led enforcement, online disruption, and asset recovery. The CEU’s Accredited Financial Investigators, authorised under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, play a key role in tracing and confiscating criminal assets, including cash and cryptocurrency.
With the growth in the profile and use of obesity medications, notably in the private sector, this kind of criminal activity is seen as a priority for enforcement.
For legitimate businesses, this kind of illegal activity presents a risk of serious reputational damage, that could undermine the investment they have made in product development and regulatory compliance.
Key take away points
Regulatory vigilance: Companies developing high profile medications like weight loss therapies, and their commercial partners, need to be aware of the reputational and safety risks that could be posed by counterfeit or unlicensed versions of their products. Any concerns about unlicensed products can be flagged to regulators.
Supply chain integrity: Manufacturers and distributors should put in place robust controls to prevent diversion or misuse of legitimate products.
Public education: There is a continued need for clear messaging to consumers about the dangers of buying medicines from unregulated sources.
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