KUALA LUMPUR: More than RM300,000 worth of GLP-1-related drug, Retatrutide, was seized by the Health Ministry between 2025 and September this year, although it has yet to be approved for use in Malaysia, the Dewan Rakyat heard.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the ministry’s Pharmacy Enforcement Division conducted 12 raids targeting its illegal sale, resulting in the seizure of 697 units.
“The seizures involved an estimated value of RM341,000, and the product has yet to be included in our approved formulations,” he said during the question and answer session in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (Nov 2).
On the illegal sale of Ozempic and semaglutide products, Dzulkefly said seven enforcement activities related to these products were carried out, resulting in the seizure of 62 units worth RM64,170.
He was responding to Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa (PH-Sekijang), who asked whether arrests had been made over the illegal online sale of regulated GLP-1 products, following their promotion by influencers on social media platforms, and what stricter measures the Health Ministry would take to curb such sales.
Retatrutide is currently not registered with Malaysia’s Drug Control Authority (DCA) and is not permitted for sale in the country.
In June this year, the ministry said the prohibition is not only for sale but also for import, marketing and supply in Malaysia.
It was also reported that between January 2023 and December 2025, the enforcement division had successfully removed 42,639 unapproved medical advertisements from e-commerce platforms and took action against a further 13,070 unapproved medical advertisements on social media, it added.
Meanwhile, Dzulkefly said the ministry acknowledged growing concern over the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists, which have recently gained popularity.
However, he said diabetes treatment was highly individualised, depending on a patient's condition, health status and other relevant factors.
“As such, treatment must be tailored to an individual's health condition, degree of obesity and any other co-morbidities or underlying medical conditions.
“The use of GLP-1 must be based on a clinician's assessment, as well as other considerations in determining the clinical indications and need for such treatment, particularly among patients with diabetes and excessive body weight or obesity,” he said.
He said patients requiring such treatment could apply for approval through the ministry's existing special drug approval mechanism.
He added that a total of 240 applications for treatment were approved between January and September 2026, involving an overall cost of RM2.56mil.
“The ministry is committed to ensuring that patients with obesity and diabetes receive comprehensive and continuous care through a treatment approach that goes beyond therapeutic interventions and adopts an integrated care model.
“Their safety and efficacy are matters we take seriously, and we have been working hard to ensure that these products are not abused or misused,” he said.
He added that the ministry would continue to step up monitoring of e-commerce and online platforms to curb their misuse, as the ultimate priority was to protect the safety, well-being and lives of the people.
