Unapproved weight loss jab nicknamed ‘triple G’ and made in Chinese labs is being illegally sold online for just £2 each

Counterfeit items of an experimental slimming drug nicknamed the ‘new Ozempic’ are being sold in Britain for as little as £2 each, MailOnline can reveal.

Retatrutide is still being tested in rigorous studies and it will be years before it is approved for use.

Nevertheless, opportunistic street vendors are capitalizing on the hype and illegally creating counterfeit versions of the next-generation drug, based on the drug company’s own recipe.

Chinese companies that make the substance in labs are even brazenly offering samples for as little as 80 cents per dose.

Advertisements list it as a “weight loss supplement,” with bottles emblazoned with the words “not for human consumption” and “research only” in an effort to avoid being accused of supplying an unapproved drug.

Some are made in laboratories in the EU or China and sold directly to the British online.

It follows interest in the approved weight-loss drug semaglutide, sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, which reached a fever pitch.

The drugs work by triggering hormones in the brain that trick the body into slowing digestion and keeping the stomach full, decreasing appetite and thus the amount people eat.

Demand for semaglutide is so high that supplies for the version of the drug designed specifically for diabetics occasionally run out.

Retatrutide is made by US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, which already makes the slimming shot Mounjaro, a rival to Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide.

The drug, which is still deep in the development phase of clinical trials, is called ‘triple G’ because it targets three different hormones involved in the amount we eat.

This can be compared to Ozempic and Wegovy, which focus on one goal, and Mounjaro, which focuses on two goals.

Early studies show that patients taking retatrutide experience up to 24.2 percent weight loss after 48 weeks, the greatest weight loss seen with any anti-obesity drug to date.

By comparison, Wegovy can help people lose 15 percent of their weight.

Photos on the website showed vials of 5 mg retatrutide with labels stating the words “research only” and “not suitable for human consumption.”

Other examples highlighted on this website include EU-based company Biolab, which ships retatrutide via Royal Mail in the UK at £110 per 5mg vial

Mounjaro, also called the ‘King Kong’ of weight loss shots, had a comparison figure of 22.5 percent.

However, it will likely take years to gain approval for use in Britain, as currently ongoing clinical trials are not expected to be completed until 2026.

One counterfeit version, made by a company called Centurion Sarms, based in North Shields in England, is branded as ‘the ultimate weight loss supplement’ at £82 each.

Photos on the website showed vials of 5 mg retatrutide with labels stating the words “research only” and “not suitable for human consumption.”

Centurion Sarms also recommends that customers should purchase so-called ‘essential items’ in addition to retatrutide, such as sterile ‘water for injection’.

The company is not listed on the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) register of authorized online sellers of medicines.

Other examples of companies offering counterfeit retatrutide discovered on this website include EU-based company Biolab, which ships retatrutide via Royal Mail in Britain for £110 per 5mg vial.

Like Centurion Sarms, Biolab claims its products are for research purposes only.

However, reviews it publishes on its website show that people buy the product and use it as a weight-loss medicine.

“Perfect supplement for anyone looking to reduce and control their food intake,” reads one review.

“My girlfriend loves this product, which helps her stay very slim for a whole year,” says another.

Brits can also order retatrutide ‘fat loss injection’ from Chinese labs for a fraction of the cost of other supplies.

MailOnline found a lab offering 10 bottles for just £20, with the seller promising ‘no customs issues’ for delivery in Britain.

It is believed that all companies offering them created them using data provided by the developer as part of the patent process.

Dr. Alison Cave, chief safety officer of the MHRA, said: ‘Retatrutide is currently in clinical trials and is not approved for use in Britain.

MailOnline found a Chinese lab offering 10 vials for just £20, with the seller promising ‘no customs issues’ for delivery to Britain

Experts have warned that Wegovy is not a ‘magic pill’. Research has shown that users can quickly regain weight when they stop taking it, and that this can cause side effects including nausea, constipation and diarrhea.

“This means it has not yet been shown to meet our standards for safety, quality and efficacy.”

She urged people not to buy these types of drugs from online sellers such as those highlighted by MailOnline.

‘Buying a medicine such as semaglutide or a product labeled retatrutide from illicit online suppliers significantly increases the risk of obtaining a product that is either counterfeit or not approved for use in Britain,’ she said.

‘Purchasing from illegal suppliers means there are no guarantees to ensure products meet our quality and safety standards, and using such medicines could put your health at risk.’

An Eli Lilly spokesperson said: ‘Retatrutide has not been reviewed or approved by the FDA or any regulatory agency anywhere in the world, and is not available to patients outside of Lilly’s clinical trials.

“Lilly is deeply concerned that actors who falsely claim to be selling Lilly investigational products that have not yet received regulatory marketing authorization, such as retatrutide, may expose patients to potentially serious health risks.”

Centurion Sarms’ web page for retatrutide was taken down shortly after MailOnline brought it to the attention of UK regulators.

Although the new hormone-like weight loss shots are being hailed as a “game changer” in the battle against bulging waistlines, the drugs have notable drawbacks.

Patients must take the currently approved jabs for life or watch the pounds they lost pile back on, doctors warn.

Some rival pharmaceutical companies have also labeled the drugs as indiscriminate in their application, as they not only cause people to lose weight but also muscle mass.

Furthermore, like any drug, they can have side effects that vary in frequency and severity.

For semaglutide, these include nausea, constipation and diarrhea, fatigue, stomach pain, headache, and dizziness.

Stranger and much rarer side effects have also been reported, such as hair loss.

MailOnline also recently revealed that semaglutide has been linked to 20 deaths in Britain.