Illegal weight-loss products worth B50 million seized

Nonthaburi seller reportedly earned B8 million a month from online sales of unregistered products

Unregistered weight-loss injection pens and related materials worth more than 50 million baht were seized on Friday at a house in Nonthaburi, where the seller had been earning an estimated 8 million baht a month from online sales for the past year.

The rented house in tambon Sao Thong Hin in Bang Yai district was raided after a parent complained that her daughter had injected a drug branded “Haus of Peptides” that she had bought online. The parent feared it could be harmful, said Pol Lt Gen Siam Boonsom, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau.

Investigators said the products were advertised on a social media account that claimed to review only “quality items”.

An inspection by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) subsequently found that the peptide products under the brand had no registration number.

Police said the illegal operation had been running for about a year, with migrant workers hired to pack the products and arrange deliveries through private courier services from the house.

The business reportedly shipped an average of 100 boxes a day, selling each box for 2,900 baht. This generated about 290,000 baht in daily revenue, with estimated monthly sales exceeding 8 million baht.

Each Haus of Peptides box contained one vial of a peptide injection product, one vial of distilled water for mixing the medication, five 1ml insulin syringes, instructions on how to use the medication and alcohol wipes.

The products seized at the house were valued at 52 million baht, according to the authorities.

The operation constitutes a violation of the Drugs Act for selling modern drugs without a licence, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or a fine of up to 10,000 baht.

The seller has not yet been identified. (Story continues below)

Seized packages of the “Haus of Peptides” brand that had no registration number under the Thai FDA’s peptide drugs list.

Not for ‘cosmetic’ weight loss

The so-called weight-loss pens belong to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, which mimic a naturally occurring hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1. They were originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, helping regulate blood sugar levels, slow stomach emptying and increase feelings of fullness.

Similar medications have also been developed specifically for weight management in people who are obese or overweight and have related health conditions. Concerns have been raised this year as some people who do not meet the criteria for these medications have also sought to use them.

The Thai FDA has approved GLP-1 products for weight reduction in people clinically diagnosed with obesity and for treating type 2 diabetes, but not for “cosmetic” weight loss.

The medications can be obtained in Thailand only with a prescription. Online sales as well as self-adjusted dosing without a doctor’s supervision are illegal.

Dr Somruk Jingsaman, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, said the drugs were classified as specially controlled medicines and patients needed to be assessed and closely monitored by doctors.

The drugs can cause gastrointestinal side effects, including nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain and bloating.

More serious side effects may include depression, suicidal thoughts, acute pancreatitis and acute kidney failure, Dr Samroeng said, adding that they may also increase the risk of thyroid cancer, among other complications.