In Malaysia, a shadow trade in DIY weight-loss jabs takes hold
When her prescription for Mounjaro became too expensive, Bey* did what a growing number of Malaysians are doing: she found a cheaper vial online. The 34-year-old from Kuala Lumpur started on the weight-loss drug about a year ago and hasn’t looked back since. “I didn’t feel like eating, I didn’t feel hungry,” she said, recalling flying to Jakarta for a “food trip” recently during which she barely…
In Malaysia, a burgeoning trade exists for unregulated DIY weight-loss injections, driven by the high cost of prescription drugs like Mounjaro and Ozempic. Bey, a 34-year-old Kuala Lumpur resident, stopped feeling hungry while taking Mounjaro and turned to cheaper "tirzepatide" online, administered herself with exercise and calorie control.
Arun, a 37-year-old from Thailand, started with Mounjaro after being diagnosed with prediabetes but now buys grey-market "tirzepatide" and "retatrutide" for about 400 ringgit a month. These synthetic hormone-mimicking compounds, also known as peptides, have altered their lives for the better, though Arun has experienced anhedonia.
Malaysia's National Health and Morbidity Survey found that 54.4% of adults were overweight or obese. Local sellers, often anonymous, offer these products on e-commerce platforms and social media for as little as 60 ringgit per jab. Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh, a public health specialist, warns of potential side effects, including allergic reactions, diarrhoea, pancreatitis, and other life-threatening risks.
Malaysian Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad reported seizures of unapproved retatrutide products worth 83,800 ringgit, alongside Ozempic seizures totalling 64,170 ringgit. The Malaysian government's latest budget does not allocate funds for these drugs, but special approval mechanisms allow patients to apply for treatment. The trade extends across Southeast Asia, with recent seizures in Thailand worth over 52 million baht.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
