In the never-ending race for skinny, it seems a thriving black market in illegal weight-loss jabs has developed in South Africa
One of the drugs people are trying to get their hands on is retatrutide
The drug is in clinical trials as a weight-loss treatment. It has not yet been approved by regulatory bodies such as the FDA in the US or theSouth African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA).
Dr Tracy Nelwamondo is a GP with a special interest in doctor-led weight management. She says the popularity of products like these shows how many people are searching for quick solutions to obesity
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Although it is expected to be given the green light next year, retatrutide is not yet approved for commercial sale or human use anywhere
“The problem that we face now is that it is not the right time. The medicine has just gone through its phase three trials. If you are not enrolled, you are not supposed to be using it.”
But according to a recent Mail and Guardian article, it is already being bought and injected in South Africa
Why? Early-stage clinical trials of the drug produced remarkable weight-loss results, even greater than those of similar drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro
However, the biggest concern is not only whether the drug works but whether it is safe, said Nelwamondo
“We don’t know how the medicines interact with the human body. We need guidance. We need to know how the medicines work, how they interact with other medicines that a person can be taking.”
Despite not being approved for sale or use, according to the Mail and Guardian piece, retatrutide is being promoted widely on social media and in the health and wellness space, including gyms
Nelwamondo said the concern is that buyers may not know what they are actually injecting into their bodies
“We are not even talking about whether the medicine works or not. We are asking what else is in the medicine that can actually just put your health at risk.”
But how are these illegal products reaching consumers?
It’s reported that while some people claim to access them through personal contacts, others are buying them through online sellers and informal suppliers
“People are getting it through a friend who knows a friend. I’ve had a lot of people at gyms getting access to it,” said Nelwamondo
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