Hidden-market promoters are exploiting social media platforms, including WhatsApp and Telegram, to distribute potent, unlicensed weight-loss drugs through deceptive “giveaway” competitions. The practice involves offering substances like retatrutide – an experimental drug not yet approved for use anywhere – as prizes to existing customers and new recruits.
Dangerous Marketing Tactics
Promoters are using aggressive digital marketing techniques, such as countdown timers and raffles, to pressure individuals into acquiring unregulated pharmaceuticals. One WhatsApp group, falsely identifying itself as “BioUK Research peptides 2,” recently advertised an “ultimate peptide stack” including retatrutide, along with other unapproved substances like Glow (GHK-Cu) pens and melanotan II. The giveaway required participants to add friends to the group and follow the seller’s social media accounts for entry. A random winner was selected via a digital wheel, ensuring quick distribution of unregulated drugs.
Unapproved Substances and Legal Risks
Retatrutide remains in clinical trials, making its sale illegal without proper authorization. Glow pens, marketed for skin repair, contain copper peptides that, when injected, have not been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Melanotan II, an unapproved tanning peptide, carries potentially severe side effects and is illegal to sell or supply in the UK.
Under UK law, these substances are tightly regulated medicines, requiring a valid prescription for legal distribution through licensed pharmacies. The unregulated market bypasses safety checks, quality controls, and medical oversight, exposing buyers to serious health risks.
Disguised Drug Sales
Companies like “BioBlue Cosmetics,” also operating as “BioBlue Fitness,” further obscure drug sales by disguising them as exercise programs. Administrators use coded language, such as “Get fit with Rita,” to refer to different dosages of retatrutide. This allows them to exploit legitimate payment systems intended for fitness coaching services.
Expert Concerns
Emily Rickard, a researcher at the University of Bath, notes that giveaways and pressure tactics override caution, encouraging risky behavior with unlicensed drugs. Dr. Piotr Ozieranski adds that these “highly problematic digital marketing techniques” are actively promoting dangerous injectables as “prizes,” undermining clinical oversight.
Platform Responses
Telegram states that selling illegal medication violates its terms of service and that such content is removed when discovered. Meta, which owns WhatsApp, confirmed that accounts violating its messaging guidelines will be banned. However, sellers continue to operate by deleting messages and rebranding to evade detection.
The unregulated sale of these drugs poses significant health risks and circumvents legal safety standards. Consumers seeking weight-loss solutions should rely on licensed healthcare professionals and approved medications to avoid dangerous, unverified products.
