The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has raised an alert about falsified versions of Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonist (GLP-1-RA) products sold at physical outlets and over social media after a warning in this respect from the World Health Organization (WHO) last week.

The drug regulator has advised doctors to prescribe alternatives and inform patients about any likely adverse effects of the drug. It has also advised all state drug regulators to procure samples from the market and initiate necessary action under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.

“There has been a surge of online information promoting the use of GLP-1-RA products for weight loss, encouraging risky procurement behaviour. It is possible that falsified versions are sold and distributed through unregulated outlets, including social-media platforms,” DCGI Rajeev Raghuvanshi wrote in a letter reviewed by Mint.

“Educate patients for reporting any adverse drug reaction with the usage of procured medical products. Patients need to be careful and only procure the necessary medical products from authorized sources with proper purchase bills,” he said.

In its threat assessment for India last week, WHO said there has been a recent surge in demand for and reported shortage of GLP-1-RA products. It said demand for these products has risen worldwide since late 2022, with reported shortages adversely impacting people with Type-2 diabetes. The drug is sold and marketed globally under various brand names.

Queries sent to a health ministry spokesperson remained unanswered till press time.

In 2022, the market size of GLP-1-RA was estimated at around $22.4 billion, and it was expected to grow in the coming years due to the increasing burden of diabetes and obesity in people worldwide.

According to the International Diabetes Federation, the number of diabetic patients worldwide will reach 643 million by 2030 and 783 million by 2045. Similarly, WHO says around 1 billion people across the world are obese.

DCGI has also asked the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists and state drug controllers to keep a close watch on the sale of these drugs. “Instruct officers to keep a strict vigil on the movement, sale and distribution, stock of the said drug products in the market and draw samples and initiate necessary actions,” said the DCGI.

An official at Delhi’s drug control office said, “We have received the communication from the DCGI today itself, and we have immediately circulated the information among our officers to keep a check on the sale of this drug formulation in the city. We are also in the process of identifying and streamlining how many such drugs are being sold in the market under different brand names.”

Last month, the DCGI issued a similar advisory for cough syrups and cold remedies containing pholcodine to be stopped for consumption after WHO alerted about the safety concern.

Updated: 22 Aug 2023, 11:58 PM IST