New counterfeit obesity drugs have appeared on the market

Dietary supplement manufacturers who previously specialized in fakes of Ozempik have begun to counterfeit another popular anti-obesity drug, Orlistat, Izvestia found out.

You can't lose weight: doctors are sounding the alarm over the rise in sales of weight loss drugs

If there aren't many extra pounds, medications only cause side effects.

The drug Orlistat is registered in Russia, it is produced by various pharmaceutical companies, including Russian ones. This prescription drug is prescribed by endocrinologists to overweight patients, as well as those with diabetes. Dietary supplements with the same name Orlistat can be purchased on the Internet, sellers pass it off as a product of the German manufacturer Lebenskraft. However, at the bottom of the plastic jar in which the capsules are packed, you can see the logo of the Moscow Protey plant (a Russian manufacturer of plastic packaging).

According to the product card, Orlistat promotes "weight loss, obesity treatment, and increased energy." The description of the composition of the "fat burner" reads as follows: "Orlistat 360 mg, 100% of the daily value."

Izvestia has studied the declaration of conformity referred to by the sellers. It follows that the food supplement contains ashwagandha, a preparation from the root of the vitania plant. In Russia, ashwagandha is prohibited for use in dietary supplements as a plant containing psychotropic, narcotic, potent or poisonous substances.

All medicines in civil circulation in Russia are subject to mandatory registration, the project manager told Izvestia, "Don't take any chances. Check it out!" by Sergey Zelenets of the International Anti-Counterfeit Association.

"There is no information about Orlistat's registration in the state Register of medicines," the expert said.

The cargo customs declaration on Orlistat, the number of which is indicated in the product card, is not being searched, a law enforcement source told Izvestia.

Sellers who pass off their dietary supplements as "Ozempik" have also become more active on the network. Among the latest such "novelties" are Ozempic, allegedly from the same German company Libenskraft and Ultra Ozempic.

Read more in the exclusive Izvestia article:

Calorie Report: New Fake Obesity Drugs have appeared on the internet