Dangerous Trend Alert: Unlicensed Weight-Loss Drugs Sold as ‘Prizes’ on Social Media

Promoters on hidden markets are currently hosting social media contests which bizarrely feature potent, unapproved drugs as the main prizes.

The Guardian has been observing various WhatsApp and Telegram channels that are actively promoting drugs like retatrutide, which is not authorized for use in the UK. Some of these groups are engaging their existing customers by offering them a chance to participate in these contests, with a tight deadline of “just 24 hours” to enter to win these drug giveaways or claim their injections.

Specialists have warned that these activities are “extremely dangerous,” emphasizing that such digital marketing strategies are being misused to promote pharmaceuticals that lack official licensing in the UK.

One advertisement seen by the Guardian from a WhatsApp group named BioUK Research peptides 2 aggressively notified members: “Last chance to enter – 24 hours left!” promoting what they called their “biggest giveaway yet.” The prizes included an “ultimate peptide stack” featuring 20mg of retatrutide (Reta), Glow (GHK-Cu) pens, and melanotan II (MT2).

Retatrutide is a trial-stage weight-loss drug not approved for use globally. Glow pens, which contain copper peptides known for their role in skin repair and anti-aging, are typically marketed as research chemicals or for external cosmetic use only, and their pre-mixed injection pens are not sanctioned by the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency).

Melanotan II, another prize in the giveaway, is a tanning peptide that is also unapproved and known to potentially cause adverse effects. Health authorities in the UK have confirmed that the sale and supply of melanotan injections are illegal, as they have not been tested for safety or efficacy and could present significant health hazards.

According to the post, entering the competition was “100% free” requiring participants to simply add three friends to the group and follow the organizer’s TikTok and Instagram accounts. The announcement of the winner was to be made the following day via a “random name generator,” concluding with a wish of “Good luck everyone.”

A subsequent video shared with the Guardian showed a spinning wheel determining the winner among 85 entries, who would receive the aforementioned weight-loss drugs.

Investigations by the Guardian have identified numerous registered businesses with ‘Bio UK’ in their name, though this specific WhatsApp group seems unrelated to any of them.

Under UK regulations, many of these promoted substances in the giveaways are strictly controlled medications, not mere supplements. Drugs for weight loss like GLP-1 medications can only be legally provided with a valid prescription and must be distributed through licensed pharmacies or certified healthcare providers.

Marketing or selling drugs still under clinical trials, such as retatrutide, to the public is outright illegal. Advertising or distributing prescription-only or unlicensed medicines via social media contests can violate medicine regulations, and acquiring products from hidden-market sellers includes grave risks due to the lack of safety checks, quality controls, or medical supervision.

The mentioned WhatsApp group boasts 1,024 members and promises next-day delivery.

Another entity, known as BioBlue Cosmetics but also operating as BioBlue Fitness, is misleadingly selling so-called “skinny jabs” under the pretense of exercise programs. Their website portrays a female-led online coaching platform with workout images and fitness plans, featuring trainers named Rita, Teressa, Carla, and Mary Jane.

However, when inquiries are made through linked WhatsApp and Telegram channels, the administrators disclose that this “coaching” is actually a euphemism for unlicensed weight-loss drugs. For instance, “Get fit with Rita” actually refers to retatrutide.

One administrator clarified this arrangement to the Guardian, posing as a customer, explaining: “So click on the website and look for ‘Get fit with Rita’. Don’t worry, you’re not signing up for a workout programme. The 20 mins is 20mg, 40 mins is 40mg and 60 mins is 60mg.”

By masking drug sales as coaching or training services, these operators can utilize payment methods meant for legitimate businesses.

Emily Rickard, a research fellow at the University of Bath, commented: “Giveaways, countdown timers, and raffles are classic pressure tactics designed to override caution, yet they’re being used to promote powerful, unlicensed injectable drugs. This not only trivializes the use of unlicensed medicines but actively discourages individuals from questioning the legality or suitability of what’s being offered. From a safety standpoint, this is extremely dangerous.”

Dr. Piotr Ozieranski, a reader in sociology at the University of Bath, observed that “highly problematic digital marketing techniques” are now being employed “to market unregulated pharmaceuticals”. He added, “Alarmingly, they are now being used to advertise powerful injectable drugs as ‘prizes’ rather than as medical treatments requiring proper clinical oversight.”

Requests for comments from BioUK Research peptides 2 and BioBlue Fitness remained unanswered, with the latter deleting all messages and discussions in its Telegram channel, informing customers it had “changed settings.”

Telegram confirmed that the sale of illegal medication is strictly prohibited by its terms of service “and such content is routinely removed when discovered.”

Meta, owner of WhatsApp, stated that accounts found violating its messaging policies would be banned.