PETALING JAYA: Some 30 raids were conducted to curb the illegal advertising and sale of weight-loss products between January and June this year with total seizures valued at RM477,142, says the Health Ministry.
The ministry also said 209 weight loss product advertisements, including products that contain retatrutide, have been removed from e-commerce platforms.
Some 1,243 advertisements across various media channels have been identified and screened, with the necessary action taken.
“The ministry takes a serious view towards the advertising and sale of weight-loss products online, including products purportedly containing retatrutide or “reta”, as well as other injectables offered to the public without examination, prescription or monitoring by registered medical practitioners.
“The use of these products without any examination or monitoring can lead to adverse effects with serious complications,” it said in a statement on Friday (Aug 28).
As of Aug 17, the ministry also said no products containing retatrutide have been registered with the Drug Control Authority for use in Malaysia.
It added that retatrutide is actually an investigational medicine that is undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials and has yet to receive marketing approval from any regulatory body globally.
“The public is advised not to purchase or use products that claim to contain retatrutide, reta or any other weight loss products.
“Before purchasing any weight loss products, check if the product is officially registered and approved for use.
“Do not be easily persuaded by advertisements, testimonies, claims of swift and drastic weight loss or by extremely cheap prices,” it said.
The ministry added that the status of registered products can be crosschecked through the ‘Product Search’ function on the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) website.
It added that the sale of unregistered drugs is an offence under the Sales of Drugs Act 1952, where those convicted can be fined up to RM50,000 for the first offence and RM100,000 for subsequent offences.
Previously, The Star reported that the black market for weight loss drugs was booming, with unapproved injections of experimental drugs flooding online platforms and raising serious health concerns.
It was reported that so-called “Reta Pens” are rapidly gaining traction on social media, where influencers and sellers tout them as a next-generation weight loss jab capable of dramatic results.
The Star’s probe found sellers touting retatrutide in pre-filled injectable pens and vials, which are already widely available online through social media and other platforms, with prices ranging from RM250 for 10mg to as high as RM788.
