With an increase in the demand for GLP-1 drugs, including Ozempic and Mounjaro, falsified products have entered the market. The Haryana FDA seized around Rs. 7 million worth of Mounjaro from an unregulated drug distributor.
Mounjaro remains strictly patent protected in India.
The operation unfolded after Amandeep Chauhan, a drug control officer at Haryana’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA), flagged a listing for the GLP-1 drug, Mounjaro on the marketplace IndiaMART that was advertised at a higher discount — 27% below its usual retail price of Rs. 13,125. Chauhan scheduled a meeting with the seller in Gurugram, where officers seized three cartons of Mounjaro pens from a Maruti Suzuki sedan.
Later, they traced a rented two-bedroom apartment containing injector pens, labels, and packaging carrying the branding of Eli Lilly — the company that manufactures and markets Mounjaro — , as well as a refrigerator containing vials of peptides. The seized products were worth Rs. 7 million in Haryana, emphasizing the risks posed by unregulated drug supply chains and online channels. Chauhan arrested the advertiser, Avi Sharma and Mujaamil Khan, in April, 2026.
Products seized during the raid were later tested by Eli Lilly, and they were found to be counterfeit. Some products contained 30% or less of the labeled concentration of tirzepatide – the active ingredient in Mounjaro.
The officers disclosed that the main accused did not have a valid pharmaceutical license and manufactured the injections at a private facility.
Raw materials, including peptides — key active components in medications — were reportedly obtained from vendors on the Chinese e-commerce platform Alibaba.
The counterfeit products were advertised through IndiaMART at nearly 27% lower prices than the real drugs, attracting cost-conscious buyers.
Eli Lilly welcomed the enforcement action and said that it is actively supporting the investigations to protect patients from counterfeit medicines.
The worldwide demand for GLP-1 receptor agonists has triggered an extraordinary surge in counterfeit products, driven by high prices, limited access, and growing demand. The market is expected to be valued at 80 billion rupees ($859.38 million) by 2030.
In India, GLP-1 drugs marketed as treatments for obesity have created strong demand for cheaper alternatives. Patients usually find sellers through Telegram, WhatsApp, online marketplaces and other informal channels.
India’s large pharmaceutical manufacturing ecosystem allows counterfeiters to access the raw ingredients, packaging, and other supplies. Regulators have repeatedly identified falsified medicines linked to the domestic supply chain.
Counterfeiters are targeting India because of the following reasons:
Increasing consumer demand for rapid weight-loss drugs.
The high retail price of real Mounjaro (Rs. 13,125 per month).
Massive profit margins on discounted counterfeits — (20% to 28%)
Weak license verification checks on online B2B portals.
Vulnerable supply chains during high-demand drug shortages.
Also Read : Illegal Wegovy, Mounjaro Imports Surge in South Korea as Demand Rises
Counterfeit weight loss injections can pose severe and potentially life-threatening risks. Fake pens may contain:
Insulin rather than the actual drug, which can cause dangerously low blood sugar — hypoglycemia — leading to seizures and coma.
Toxic substances, including mercury, cement or rat poison.
Bacterial contamination due to unhygienic manufacturing conditions.
Missing or incorrect active ingredients, making treatment ineffective or harmful.
Organizations like the World Health Organization have identified falsified GLP-1 drugs as a growing public health threat. These products can lead to unpredictable reactions, toxicity, and severe complications when used without medical supervision.
Experts state that unsupervised use is usually driven by social media trends or cosmetic weight-loss goals which can result in improper dosing, missed medical risks, and delayed detection of adverse effects.
Confirm the medication is dispensed by a licensed pharmacy.
The pharmacy’s name and address should be legitimate and licensed. The batch number and expiry date on the bill should match those printed on the pack.
There should never be a “Made in India” origin line — the drug is manufactured in the United States and the Indian importer and marketer is Eli Lilly and Company (India) Pvt Ltd, which is based in Gurugram, Haryana.
Indian labeling regulations require a genuine pack to have a brand name, strength, batch number, date of manufacture, date of expiry and the official manufacturing or import license number.
Both the carton and the pen should be stored at 2°C to 8°C. The product must never be frozen and the pen should always arrive cold to the consumer.
Look for misspelled words, unfamiliar logos, mismatched color shades, blurred illustrations or anything that looks inconsistent compared with the known genuine packaging.
Scan the 2D barcode on the medicine package with a smartphone to verify whether that checks if the serial number matches authentic products manufactured by Lily.
Also Read : Over the US Sales Of Fake Mounjaro Weight Loss Supplements, Eli Lilly Is Suing
Myth : Missing Barcode proves the pen is fake
Reality : Schedule H2 in India does not require a 2D barcode on this type of pack. Thus, an absent barcode may be suspicious, but not definitive proof that the drug is fake.
Myth : Scan the government code to confirm authenticity
Reality : There is no national government app or database that verifies Mounjaro’s authenticity. Lilly’s portal is a manufacturer-specific tool not a government verification service.
Myth : A capital S in Storage identifies a genuine one
Reality : No manufacturer or regulatory body has ever identified the capitalization of “Storage” as an authenticity marker. Thus, it should not be used as an authenticity check.
Do not inject the pen, as fake medication often contains incorrect dosage, contaminants or an entirely different active molecule.
Do not return the product to the seller, as they may destroy the physical evidence.
Inform the prescribing clinician immediately, especially if you have already injected the product.
Report the incident to the CDSCO, which provides consumers with a complaint email route and a toll free number.
Contact Lilly India via its official customer service channels so the company validates the serial or batch number and supports the ongoing regulatory investigation.
India is witnessing a rapid growth of semaglutide products following the expiry of Novo Nordisk’s patent for the active ingredient.
Approximately a dozen of generic semaglutide brands have entered the market, including tablets, vials and injectable formulations.
Retatrutide, an experimental drug, has also reached the underground market. It is not yet approved for sale by any regulatory authority globally and remains strictly under clinical investigation. Yet, unofficial distributors have approached doctors, wellness centers and beauty clinics in Mumbai with offers to supply it.
Advertisements for the drug have also appeared on IndiaMART and TradeIndia.
Eli Lilly told Bloomberg, "Retatrutide is an investigational medicine, available in Lilly's clinical trials, and has not been approved by any regulator anywhere in the world. No one can legally sell it for human use."
(Rh/APC/MSM)
