More than £250,000 worth of counterfeit weight-loss jab products have been seized in a factory raid in Northampton, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has announced.
The raid, supported by Northamptonshire police, uncovered tens of thousands of empty weight-loss pens, raw chemical ingredients, and over 2,000 unlicensed pens containing retatrutide and tirzepatide. Retatrutide is an experimental drug not licensed in the UK, while tirzepatide (Mounjaro) is available on the NHS for eligible patients.
The site on an industrial estate is believed to have been used for large-scale manufacture, packaging, and distribution of unlicensed and potentially deadly weight-loss products. The street value of the finished items is estimated at more than £250,000.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting called the raid a “victory in the fight against the shameless criminals who are putting lives at risk”. He warned the public not to buy weight-loss medications from unregulated sources and to seek NHS advice instead.
Andy Morling, head of the MHRA’s criminal enforcement unit, said the operation demonstrates the agency’s commitment to disrupting organised criminal networks that endanger patients and undermine legitimate healthcare.
