As obesity drugs gain popularity, pharmaceutical companies are facing headaches from unexpected places. There have been scams in which people claim to sell Wegovy and run off with the money, and disputes have arisen over indemnity health insurance. With demand for obesity drugs high and prices relatively expensive, illegal distribution channels are emerging and the problem is spreading.
A representative example online is, "Send several million won and we will ship a three-month supply of Wegovy." They set up websites to sell diet drugs, take the money, and do not send the obesity drug. The Suwon District Court sentenced a person surnamed A to two years and six months in prison in May last year on fraud charges for taking more than 21 million won for obesity drugs including Wegovy from eight people and pocketing tens of millions of won more by claiming to sell alcohol and other items.
There are also cases of illegally selling ordinary foods on social media (SNS) while advertising them as having the same ingredients as Wegovy. Earlier, the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety sent to prosecutors the heads of five companies that used influencers to promote with phrases like "lose 7 kilograms in a month" and "ultra-strong appetite suppression," taking in more than 30 billion won, on charges of violating the Act on Labeling and Advertising of Food, etc. They claimed the products had the same ingredients as Wegovy, but it turned out they did not actually lead to weight loss.
Hospitals selling obesity drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro and falsifying medical records to claim insurance benefits are also being caught. Obesity drugs not used for treatment purposes are excluded from indemnity health insurance coverage. Some hospitals drew in patients by selling obesity drugs and then making it look in medical records as if covered items under indemnity insurance, such as extracorporeal shock wave therapy, had been provided.
The Financial Supervisory Service and the Korean National Police Agency are operating a special reporting period for indemnity insurance abuse scams through March. Those who report doctors and hospital staff who manipulated medical records, brokers, or patients will receive rewards of 10 million to 50 million won.
Abroad, fake obesity drug problems have also surfaced. In the United States, fake obesity drugs were illegally sold on TikTok and Instagram, and in Europe, including the United Kingdom and Germany, illegal distribution has been uncovered. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said, "Be careful, as they can cause hypoglycemia or nausea." Such counterfeit obesity drugs may even have typos on the package text.
Wegovy and Mounjaro are obesity drugs developed by Denmark's Novo Nordisk and the U.S. firm Eli Lilly and Company. They mimic the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) hormone secreted from the small intestine after meals and are injected once a week. They work by suppressing appetite in the brain and slowing the rate at which food moves out of the stomach to increase satiety. Patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, or those with a BMI of 27 to 30 who have high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or similar conditions, are eligible for treatment.
Obesity drugs are prescription-only medicines that must be prescribed by a doctor at a hospital. They can cause side effects such as abdominal pain, vomiting, or bleeding. A Novo Nordisk official said, "There are even cases of impersonating the company," and noted, "We are guiding patients on safe use." Korea Lilly said, "Do not be misled by illegal advertising and consult a medical professional."
Interest in obesity drugs is growing as an oral pill recently received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. If patients do not go through proper distribution channels, safety issues may arise, so extra caution is needed.