What was actually in fake weight-loss drug that caused patients to tear oesophagus
There are stark warnings about the rise in counterfeit weight-loss drugs, and as the likes of Ozempic and Wegovy are joined by newcomers like retatrutide, there's been an alarming spike in bad actors who are selling knock-off versions of these for a knockdown price.
We don't need to remind you that you should be careful when it comes to what you stick in your body, but in the case of these so-called skinny jabs like Ozempic, that's a very literal cause for concern in terms of your health.
With the popularity of GLP-1s and other variants showing no signs of going away, neither are alarming reports about counterfeit versions leading to some horrifying side effects.
We previously covered how some patients faced liver failure from taking unapproved retatrutide, and now, Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is back with another warning.
Warnings over counterfeit retatrutide
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Although it's been billed as the triple G 'Godzilla' of weight-loss drugs, retatrutide hasn't been approved or licensed by any regulatory authority in the world. This means it should be impossible to get your hands on it unless you're taking part in a clinical trial.
As reported by ABC News, one patient ended up with a torn oesophagus after taking a counterfeit version of the experimental weight-loss drug. Social media is apparently awash with unmarked vials of the popular peptide, going under names like retatrutide, Reta, R-10, and R-20, which often come in unmarked vials.
If jabbing yourself with an unmarked vial of solution wasn't worrying enough, the TGA has highlighted this horrifying case.
The organization was apparently alerted to one patient who was experiencing uncontrollable vomiting after they took what they assumed was retatrutide. Requiring hospitalization, it was discovered they'd torn their oesophagus, which can be life-threatening.
ABC worked with the University of Queensland to discover a black market of retatrutide that has far higher doses than what's actually on their labels.
It comes as Melbourne gastroenterologist Darcy Holt says the number of patients being treated for adverse effects from unapproved counterfeit retatrutide is climbing.
What was in the counterfeit retatrutide?
After taking a sample, the TGA found that the peptide inside the dose was semaglutide to target hunger, with no retatrutide in it at all. The amount of semaglutide inside was supposedly eight times higher than levels approved by the TGA, with chief medical adviser, Professor Robyn Langham, reiterating that you don't know where products online are coming from or what they actually contain.
Langham reminds us: "The biggest risks with unapproved peptide products are not knowing what is in the vial, how much of, or even what substance it contains, whether it's sterile or whether it contains other contaminants or toxins".
"These risks are particularly concerning for injectable products, where contaminated or non-sterile manufacturing can increase the risk of infection and harmful immune responses including anaphylaxis."
Holt reiterates that a torn oesophagus is "almost universally fatal' if not treated promptly, explaining: "A tear of the oesophagus can mean that stomach contents can enter the part of the body where the heart and main blood vessels are, and infection and inflammation in that area are extremely serious.
“Many of the peptides we are talking about do have gastrointestinal effects and require titration of dose to minimise those effects."
In cases of overdose, you can expect severe gastrointestinal effects, like extreme nausea and forceful vomiting resulting in a potential oesophageal tear.
A new TGA safety advisory says that while retatrutide remains in clinical trials for humans, it must not be used outside this setting.
Nothing an upward trend Holt concludes that the use of peptides like retatrutide has gone from something that rarely appeared on a patient's medication list to something that often appears when asked what drugs someone is taking.
While we wait for the next steps in retatrutide's potential approval, you're reminded to stay away from the black market.