A woman who purchased an unlicensed version of the weight loss drug semaglutide on Instagram ended up in A&E vomiting blood, a BBC investigation has found. Maddy, 32, bought the product from a company called The Lip King, run by Jordan Parke, after seeing transformation photos on the platform. She was sold 10mg of semaglutide for £200 with no prescription required.
After injecting the drug, Maddy became extremely ill and was later hospitalised. Her symptoms included vomiting blood and severe nausea. Despite being told by Mr Parke that vomiting was normal, she eventually sought emergency care. The BBC was unable to reach Mr Parke for comment.
The investigation uncovered a thriving black market for semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, driven by rising demand for weight loss treatments. The drug is only available on the NHS for type 2 diabetes patients and, in some cases, obesity. However, unregulated sellers are offering it online and in beauty salons in Manchester and Liverpool.
Lab tests on samples purchased by the BBC found inconsistencies: some vials contained no semaglutide, and nearly all had lower doses than advertised. Doctors warn that drugs from unregulated sources are dangerous and may contain toxic ingredients.
Drug manufacturer Novo Nordisk, the sole licensed supplier of semaglutide in the UK, says it is working to remove illegal listings and investigate copyright infringements. Under UK law, selling semaglutide as a medicine without a prescription is illegal.
