Attorney General Anthony G. Brown joined a 37-state and territory bipartisan coalition requesting that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) take swift action against bad actors who are endangering consumers with counterfeit forms of the weight loss and diabetes drugs Mounjaro, Zepbound, Ozempic, and Wegovy (GLP1 drugs).
“Online retailers that sell counterfeit, unregulated medications endanger their patients’ lives and health,” said Attorney General Brown. “Protecting Marylanders is my highest priority. We refuse to let companies exploit Marylanders who just want to live healthy lives.” The letter states that “online retailers are illegally selling the active ingredients of GLP-1 drugs directly to consumers, without a prescription. These retailers claim that the active ingredients they sell are “for research purposes only” or “not for human consumption.” In reality, these companies advertise directly to consumers on social media, claiming that their products are an easier and more affordable way to obtain GLP-1 drugs. Much like with counterfeit versions, these active ingredients come from unregulated, undisclosed sources and pose risks of contamination and inclusion of foreign substances.
The letter declares that the FDA has the expertise and resources to stop the bad conduct and deceptive practices by counterfeit drug manufacturers and that they should increase enforcement actions against compounding pharmacies illegally participating in this market. It also encourages the FDA to partner with state pharmacy boards to ensure compounded GLP-1 drugs are produced safely and in sanitary environments. Maryland joined this bipartisan letter, co-led by South Carolina, Colorado, Illinois, and Tennessee and joined by Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Original source can be found here.