Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has spearheaded a coalition of 38 states and territories urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take decisive action against the distribution of counterfeit, unapproved, and contaminated weight loss drugs. The focus is on GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound.
Attorney General Skrmetti emphasized the risks posed by counterfeit drugs: "Millions of Americans rely on GLP-1 drugs to improve their health, but bad actors are peddling dangerous fakes." He highlighted that these fake products could be contaminated through questionable supply chains originating from countries like China and Turkey or might contain different substances made to resemble legitimate GLP-1 drugs. Skrmetti called for the FDA's leadership in protecting the American supply chain and collaborating with federal and state agencies to prevent the production of counterfeit drugs.
The high demand for GLP-1 medications, coupled with their costliness and limited availability, has led to opportunities for illicit manufacturing and sales of counterfeit products. These not only threaten public health but also national security. Reports indicate that fake GLP-1 drugs from India, Turkey, China, among others, have penetrated the U.S. market.
The FDA possesses the necessary expertise to investigate illegal activities by counterfeit drug manufacturers and online retailers involved in this market. The letter from the coalition urges increased enforcement actions against these entities. It also suggests collaboration with state pharmacy boards to ensure safe production conditions for compounded GLP-1 medications.
This bipartisan effort was co-led by Tennessee alongside South Carolina, Colorado, and Illinois. Other participants include attorneys general from Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine Maryland 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 Wisconsin.
For further details on this initiative or consumer protection information regarding GLP-1 drugs please refer to available resources online.