Eli Lilly warns about fake weight loss medications [Video]

Med spas, wellness centers and online sellers were recently hit with lawsuits by Eli Lilly and Company for providing “unapproved compounded” versions of drugs used for diabetes management and weight loss.

Eli Lilly announced Thursday that it published an open letter about counterfeit, fake and compounded” versions of its tirzepatide medications. Last April, Audacy reported that experts believed that one of those medications known as Mounjaro – originally approved for use as a diabetes medication – could be the next major weight loss drug. Ozempic, another diabetes drug, has become known for causing weight loss.

Another version of the drug from Eli Lilly is called Zepbound. Both Mounjaro and Zepbound are not intended for cosmetic weight loss and they are approved for people age 18 and older.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “drug compounding is often regarded as the process of combining, mixing, or altering ingredients to create a medication tailored to …