Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly is taking legal action against wellness centers, medical spas and other parties passing off fake medicine as Lilly products Mounjaro and Zepbound.
Six new lawsuits were filed in various states Thursday, as a follow-up to earlier suits filed last year “to ensure patient safety,” Lilly said in a release.
Each suit targeted a separate party and accused it of misrepresenting Lilly products, although the lawsuits did not specify their targets.
Both Mounjaro and Zepbound are injectable Lilly products containing the chemical tirzepatide.
Mounjaro is prescribed to patients with type 2 diabetes to improve their blood-sugar levels. Zepbound is prescribed for weight loss. The two drugs are the only FDA-approved tirzepatide medications.
The company entered into an agreement with Totality Medispa last month that requires the spa to pay Lilly and not to engage in conduct that could mislead consumers into thinking the spa provides Zepbound or Mounjaro. Similar agreements have been reached with other medical spas and wellness centers, Lilly said.
Authentic drugs come in containers with gray rounded triangular base caps, a purple injection button, their brand trademark and the script Lilly logo, in black for Mounjaro and in red for Zepbound.
Fake tirzepatide, sold on social media or by some medical spas and wellness centers, differ in quality and chemical composition from the real drugs. In one case, Lilly said, a vial of fake medicine was just sugar alcohol.
Other fake vials have multiple medicines mixed together, the wrong chemical or incorrect dosages. There are also inconsistencies with the sterility and purity of the fake vials, a particularly pressing issue because both tirzepatide-based medicines are injected.
Some fake vials have contained bacteria, impurities, discoloration or an entirely different chemical structure as compared to the real Zepbound and Mounjaro.
The six new lawsuits were filed Thursday in Ohio, Texas, Hawaii and D.C., according to Reuters news agency.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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