Attorney General Kwame Raoul is leading a bipartisan coalition of 37 states and territories urging the Food and Drug Administration to take action against counterfeit forms of the weight loss and diabetes drugs Mounjaro, Zepbound, Ozempic and Wegovy (GLP-1 drugs).
According to a news release, Raoul says scammers are attempting to take advantage of individuals looking for more affordable and convenient means of obtaining the medications by selling them directly to consumers.
But he says consumers run the risk of taking a counterfeit drug that was never intended for human consumption.
In the letter, Raoul and the coalition raise concerns with online retailers selling the active ingredients of GLP-1 medications illegally and without a prescription.
The coalition also encourages the FDA to partner with state pharmacy boards to ensure compounded GLP-1 drugs are produced safely and in sanitary environments.
Attorney General Raoul co-led the bipartisan letter, with Colorado, South Carolina and Tennessee. The letter was joined by the attorneys general of Alaska, Arkansas, 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 and Wisconsin.
Attorney General Raoul encourages Illinois residents to report deceptive marketing or the sale of unsafe products on the Attorney General’s website or by calling one of the Attorney General’s Consumer Fraud Hotlines:
1-800-386-5438 (Chicago)
1-800-243-0618 (Springfield)
1-800-243-0607 (Carbondale)
1-866-310-8398 (Spanish-language hotline)