Colombia's National Food and Drug Surveillance Institute, known as Invima, has issued an alert regarding the illegal sale of weight-loss peptides.
The warning comes as unregulated substances, including retatrutide, are increasingly marketed on social media and internet platforms without sanitary registration or medical prescriptions. These products bypass critical safety checks, posing significant risks to users who seek rapid weight loss through viral internet trends.
Health officials said 77 adverse events were associated with the use of retatrutide [1]. Of those cases, 59 were classified as severe [1]. One death is currently under investigation [1].
Invima said these peptides are being sold illegally because they lack the necessary sanitary controls required for human consumption. The agency said that using these substances without professional medical supervision can lead to unpredictable and dangerous health outcomes.
Specialists in health said the trend is driven by the viral nature of these injections on the internet. Because the products are sold without a prescription, users often lack the medical screening necessary to determine if such treatments are safe for their specific health profile.
The Colombian government is urging the public to avoid purchasing medications through unofficial channels, especially those advertised on social media, and to consult licensed healthcare providers before starting any pharmacological weight-loss regimen.
“Invima reported 77 adverse events associated with the use of retatrutide.”
The rise of 'viral' medical treatments on social media creates a dangerous gap between consumer demand and regulatory oversight. When pharmaceutical-grade peptides are sold as unregulated supplements, the lack of quality control and medical screening can turn a weight-loss attempt into a life-threatening event, highlighting the global challenge of policing digital pharmacies.
