Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has joined forces with a 37-state coalition to urge the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to intensify efforts against the proliferation of counterfeit weight loss and diabetes medications. The bipartisan group, which includes South Carolina, Colorado, Illinois, and Tennessee as co-leaders, is targeting unauthorized sales of popular drugs like Mounjaro, Zepbound, Ozempic, and Wegovy.
The coalition’s letter highlights concerns over online retailers selling counterfeit and unregulated versions of these medications, misleadingly marketed under the guise of being for “research purposes only” or “not for human consumption.” However, investigations have revealed that these products are actively promoted to consumers on social media, often as a cheaper and more accessible alternative to legitimate pharmaceuticals.
The states are pressing the FDA to crack down on these deceptive practices and enhance scrutiny of compounding pharmacies that are illegally engaged in this market. They also call for collaboration with state pharmacy boards to ensure that any compounded versions of the drugs meet safety and sanitation standards.
The coalition includes a diverse group of states and territories, such as Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, the Virgin Islands, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Attorney General Brown emphasized that consumer safety is a top priority and stated, “We refuse to let companies exploit Marylanders who just want to live healthy lives.”
