Weight-Loss Injection Trend Spreads on Social Media Despite Health Risks

A new weight loss fashion is gaining popularity on social networks. Injectable peptides are advertised by influencers with promises of fast results. No prescription, no review and no guarantee of what's actually in the vial.

It took BNT team just a few minutes to contact a peptide seller on social media. We are posing as a minor. And instead of refusal we get a price-10mg for 200 euros, delivery by courier and a promise of fast results-up to 6,5kg a month.

The product comes with a quality certificate and with the clarification that it is for research purposes.

According to Vasil Hodzhev, pharmacist and member of the Bulgarian Pharmaceutical Union, the peptide in question remains in Phase III clinical trials and has not been approved as a medicinal product anywhere in the world.

“It is currently in Phase III trials conducted by a major pharmaceutical company. It is not registered as a medicinal product, either in Bulgaria or elsewhere, and is therefore not available through pharmacies.”

Despite this, social media profiles advertising the products contain numerous posts claiming dramatic weight-loss results and an absence of side effects. While sellers often state that they do not provide medical advice, many publish detailed instructions on dosage and injection methods.

Hodzhev warned that improper use could lead to serious health consequences, including severe liver damage.

“People have no clear understanding of whether they are using these products correctly.”

Dr Stefka Stefanova stressed that products lacking medical approval present additional risks.

“If a product has not been authorised for medical use, we cannot be certain that the ingredients listed on the label correspond to what is actually contained in the product.”

Speaking on BNT's morning programme on June 3, Prof Georgi Momekov explained that the products involved are hormone-based treatments designed to suppress appetite.

“They induce a feeling of fullness. As a result, people generally find themselves opening the fridge far less often during the day.”

However, he cautioned that the risks extend beyond the active ingredients themselves.

“When you buy something from someone who has imported it illegally and has no relevant qualifications, the likelihood that it has been stored correctly is very low.”

The Ministry of Health told BNT that reports concerning the unauthorised sale of such products are investigated jointly with the Bulgarian Drug Agency, General Directorate for Combating Organised Crime and the Bulgarian Customs Agency.