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Protect Yourself Against Counterfeit, Fake, and Unsafe or Untested Compounded Products
The Risks of Counterfeit and Compounded Medicine
As a medicine company, we take product safety seriously. We want to make sure you have the information you need to protect yourself against counterfeit, fake, and unsafe or untested compounded knock-offs of Lilly medicines. Unfortunately, a growing number of these products are being mass-marketed and sold online, through social media and at certain med-spas, compounding pharmacies and wellness centers. They put people at risk.
Counterfeit / Fake Products: Counterfeit or fake products are designed to imitate genuine medicines. It can be difficult to know whether you have a counterfeit product because they are made and sold in a manner that falsely represents their authenticity, origin or effectiveness. According to the FDA, counterfeit products “may contain the wrong ingredients, contain too much, too little or no active ingredient at all or contain other harmful ingredients.” They may also be made in unsanitary conditions by unregulated entities without adequate skill or training. Counterfeit products are often advertised and sold online, through social media or at certain med-spas.
Compounded Products: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defines drug compounding as the “process of combining, mixing, or altering ingredients to create a medication tailored to the needs of an individual patient.” This practice is permitted in limited circumstances to address individual patient needs, such as making a medicine without a dye that a patient is allergic to. However, compounded products are never FDA-approved.
If you suspect you have received counterfeit or fake Lilly medicine, this resource can help verify your product.
FAQs and Resources
What We’re Doing About It
No single entity can stop counterfeiting and unsafe or untested compounded products. That’s why we’re partnering with global government regulatory and law enforcement agencies, along with other pharmaceutical companies, to deliver a global anti-counterfeiting strategy that prioritizes patient safety.
As part of our commitment to safety, we issued an open letter on June 20, 2024, to inform people living with diabetes and obesity, their families, and their health care providers about potentially serious risks posed by the proliferation of counterfeit, fake, and unsafe or untested compounded knock-offs of our FDA-approved tirzepatide medications (Mounjaro® and Zepbound®) and about appropriate use of our genuine medicines.
We also continue to support international educational efforts by non-governmental organizations such as the World Health Organization, Partnership for Safe Medicines and others to warn patients and health care professionals about the dangers of buying medicines from non-traditional outlets.
One way to ensure you’re receiving genuine Lilly medicine is by using LillyDirect™. Through this service, we can not only help connect you with a health care provider, but also help you get certain prescribed medicines delivered directly to you (regardless of the health care provider you use).
Our Stance
Recent news from us about safe treatments.
News Releases:
Recent News on Counterfeit and Compounded Medicine
Big Take
The FDA Loophole Fueling Ozempic Knockoffs, July 23, 2024
ABC News
ABC News Medical Contributor and Physician, Stanford Children’s Health, June 20, 2024
NBC Nightly News
WHO issues warning about fake weight-loss drugs, June 20, 2024
NBC Nightly News
States cracking down on compounding pharmacies selling knockoff weight-loss drugs, May 3, 2023
Regulator and Public Health Reports
Regulators and public health organizations, including the FDA, State Boards of Pharmacy, foreign governments, the World Health Organization and others have issued reports on counterfeit and compounded products. Many of those reports are linked below.
Patient Advocacy Groups
Patient advocacy groups have also spoken out against counterfeit and compounded versions of "tirzepatide" given the risks these products pose to patients.