Connecticut AG warning about knock-off weight-loss drugs being sold throughout the state
CONNECTICUT (WABC) -- The Attorney General of Connecticut is describing a series of weight-loss drugs being sold online as untested and unsafe.
The AG issued a warning to clinics throughout the state that sell knock-off versions of the ones currently approved by the FDA.
Not following the warning could lead to some serious side effects or even an overdose.
"If you want to obtain some sort of weight loss pill, you can. It's very easy to obtain," said Greenwich resident Jayne Mangan.
College students say they've seen an explosion in social media ads for products containing the medicine found in popular weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wagovy.
"Some girls want to achieve a skinnier body or just feel good the way they look in their jeans, that kind of thing, so I definitely see it more targeted toward the female audience," Mangan said.
"A good amount of influencers put out the product. I don't know if they use it or not, but it's pretty popular," Greenwich resident Alex Spizzirri said.
Connecticut's Attorney General has ordered weight-loss clinics in the state to stop selling bootleg versions of injectable weight-loss drugs known as GLP-1 medicines.
"If you use these products, stop, go see a doctor and get a prescription. If you are selling these products, stop. And if you don't, we are going to come after you and shut you down," William Tong said.
Tong is suing two online retailers, Florida-based 'Triggered Brands,' which sells vials of GLP-1 peptides.
Its site carries a disclaimer saying the products are 'for research purposes only. We do not condone any personal use.'
"They're medications, and medications should be treated with respect, it's not an eyeliner that you can just try, there are side effects and dangers," Dr. Maria Cecilia Asnis with Stamford Hospital said.
Dr. Cecilia said the huge demand for legitimate GLP-1 drugs has given rise to products without FDA approval that contain unregulated additives, often taken without a prescription by people who haven't been properly screened by a doctor.
Then there are the potential side effects.
"What if a patient stops breathing completely, what if they develop an infection, what if they develop a skin infection or any of those things," Dr. Cecilia Asnis said.
The Attorney General has not charged any health care provider with wrongdoing, but his letter puts them on notice that his office will take action if they continue to sell such products.
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