US FDA Chief says very concerned about sales of fake weight loss drugs

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said on Wednesday that he is very concerned about the prevalence of compounded or fake versions of popular new weight loss drugs online.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said on Wednesday that he is very concerned about the prevalence of compounded or fake versions of popular new weight loss drugs online. Consumers are attracted to compounded versions of these medicines that are sold without proper controls to ensure they get the right active drug, Califf said in a Reuters Newsmaker interview.

"In the context of the total picture of illicit drugs being sold on the internet, it's almost certainly bigger than, much bigger than what we see," he said, referring the agency's adverse events report. Califf said he is also concerned about the "enormous disparity" between people who can get access to the new drugs for weight loss based on wealth or connections to the medical community, and those who do not have those advantages but might have a greater need for the treatments.