The harmful weight-loss drug that went viral on Russian TikTok

[ad_1] Sofya Volyanova BBC Information Russian

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/20b3/live/a281fad0-b3e7-11f0-a1d0-d5a6c9e4c42e.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/20b3/live/a281fad0-b3e7-11f0-a1d0-d5a6c9e4c42e.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/20b3/live/a281fad0-b3e7-11f0-a1d0-d5a6c9e4c42e.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/20b3/live/a281fad0-b3e7-11f0-a1d0-d5a6c9e4c42e.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/20b3/live/a281fad0-b3e7-11f0-a1d0-d5a6c9e4c42e.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/20b3/live/a281fad0-b3e7-11f0-a1d0-d5a6c9e4c42e.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/20b3/live/a281fad0-b3e7-11f0-a1d0-d5a6c9e4c42e.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/20b3/live/a281fad0-b3e7-11f0-a1d0-d5a6c9e4c42e.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="Maria 22-year-old Maria suffered serious side effects after trying the unlicensed weight loss drug promoted on TikTok" class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> Maria 22-year-old Maria suffered severe negative effects after making an attempt the unlicensed weight reduction drug promoted on TikTok

Molecule, a capsule promising fast weight reduction, went viral on Russian TikTok earlier this 12 months.

Younger folks's feeds began filling up with captions like "Take Molecule and neglect meals exists", and "Do you need to sit at the back of the category in outsized garments?"

Clips confirmed fridges lined with blue bins that includes holograms and "Molecule Plus" labels.

The orders started piling in, as youngsters shared their "weight-loss journeys" on social media.

However there was a catch.

Maria, 22, had bought the capsule from a well-liked on-line retailer. She took two drugs per day and, after two weeks, says her mouth dried up and he or she fully misplaced her urge for food.

"I had completely no need to eat, not to mention drink. I used to be nervous. I used to be consistently biting my lips and chewing my cheeks."

Maria developed extreme nervousness and started having detrimental ideas. "These drugs had been having a profound impact on my psyche," she says.

Maria, who lives in St Petersburg, says she wasn't ready for such extreme negative effects.

Different TikTok customers talked about dilated pupils, tremors and insomnia. And a minimum of three schoolchildren are reported to have ended up in hospital.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/d2b6/live/989a97f0-b100-11f0-9c44-b9209ab0e9f0.png.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/d2b6/live/989a97f0-b100-11f0-9c44-b9209ab0e9f0.png.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/d2b6/live/989a97f0-b100-11f0-9c44-b9209ab0e9f0.png.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/d2b6/live/989a97f0-b100-11f0-9c44-b9209ab0e9f0.png.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/d2b6/live/989a97f0-b100-11f0-9c44-b9209ab0e9f0.png.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/d2b6/live/989a97f0-b100-11f0-9c44-b9209ab0e9f0.png.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/d2b6/live/989a97f0-b100-11f0-9c44-b9209ab0e9f0.png.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/d2b6/live/989a97f0-b100-11f0-9c44-b9209ab0e9f0.png.webp" loading="lazy" alt="TikTok Clips shared on TikTok show fridges lined with soft drinks and blue boxes of Molecule" class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> TikTok Clips shared on TikTok present fridges lined with comfortable drinks and blue bins of Molecule

In April, a schoolgirl in Chita, Siberia, wanted hospital care after overdosing on Molecule. Based on native experiences, she was making an attempt to shed weight shortly, in time for the summer season.

The mom of one other schoolgirl advised native media her daughter was admitted to intensive care after taking a number of drugs without delay.

And in Could, a 13-year-old boy from St Petersburg wanted hospital care after experiencing hallucinations and panic assaults. He had reportedly requested a pal to purchase him the capsule as a result of he was being teased at college about his weight.

Substance banned in UK, EU and US

The packaging for Molecule drugs typically lists "pure elements" corresponding to dandelion root and fennel seed extract.

However earlier this 12 months, journalists on the Russian newspaper Izvestiya submitted drugs that they had bought on-line for testing and located they contained a substance referred to as sibutramine.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/6753/live/7fd5a6b0-b100-11f0-9c44-b9209ab0e9f0.png.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/6753/live/7fd5a6b0-b100-11f0-9c44-b9209ab0e9f0.png.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/6753/live/7fd5a6b0-b100-11f0-9c44-b9209ab0e9f0.png.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/6753/live/7fd5a6b0-b100-11f0-9c44-b9209ab0e9f0.png.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/6753/live/7fd5a6b0-b100-11f0-9c44-b9209ab0e9f0.png.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/6753/live/7fd5a6b0-b100-11f0-9c44-b9209ab0e9f0.png.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/6753/live/7fd5a6b0-b100-11f0-9c44-b9209ab0e9f0.png.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/6753/live/7fd5a6b0-b100-11f0-9c44-b9209ab0e9f0.png.webp" loading="lazy" alt="TikTok The pills contain substance called sibutramine, which is banned in many countries" class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> TikTok The drugs include a substance referred to as sibutramine, which is banned in lots of nations

First used as an antidepressant within the Eighties and later as an urge for food suppressant, research later discovered sibutramine elevated the danger of coronary heart assaults and strokes - whereas solely barely selling weight reduction.

It was banned within the US in 2010, and can also be unlawful within the UK, EU, China and different nations.

In Russia, it's nonetheless used to deal with weight problems, however obtainable solely to adults and by prescription.

Buying and promoting sibutramine with no prescription is a legal offence. However that hasn't stopped people and small companies from promoting it on-line - typically in increased doses than authorized treatment - and with out requiring prescriptions.

The unlicensed drugs price about £6-7 ($8-9) for a 20-day provide - less expensive than recognised weight-loss injections like Ozempic, which on the Russian market promote for £40-160 ($50-210) per month-to-month pen.

"Self-administration of this drug may be very unsafe," says endocrinologist Ksenia Solovieva from St. Petersburg, warning of potential overdose dangers, "as a result of we have no idea how a lot of the energetic ingredient such 'dietary dietary supplements' could include."

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/6e9c/live/4ff1bdf0-b0fe-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/6e9c/live/4ff1bdf0-b0fe-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/6e9c/live/4ff1bdf0-b0fe-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/6e9c/live/4ff1bdf0-b0fe-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/6e9c/live/4ff1bdf0-b0fe-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/6e9c/live/4ff1bdf0-b0fe-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/6e9c/live/4ff1bdf0-b0fe-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/6e9c/live/4ff1bdf0-b0fe-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="TikTok Teenagers and young people showing unlicensed weight loss pills sold as dietary supplements from popular marketplaces on their TikTok accounts" class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> TikTok Youngsters and younger folks order unlicensed weight reduction drugs offered as dietary dietary supplements from well-liked marketplaces

Russians usually obtain jail sentences for buying and reselling Molecule drugs. However it's proving tough for authorities to get a grip on the drug being offered illegally.

In April, the government-backed Secure Web League reported the rising pattern involving younger folks to the authorities - prompting a number of main on-line marketplaces to take away Molecule from sale. However it quickly started showing on-line underneath a brand new title, Atom, in near-identical packaging.

A legislation was not too long ago handed permitting authorities to dam web sites promoting "unregistered dietary dietary supplements" with no courtroom order - however sellers have been getting round this by categorising them as "sports activities diet" as a substitute.

On TikTok, you'll find retailers promoting Molecule underneath listings that appear like they're for muesli, biscuits and even lightbulbs. And a few retailers aren't even making an attempt to cover it any extra.

A number of weeks in the past, the BBC discovered Molecule listings on a well-liked Russian on-line market. When approached for remark, the positioning stated it had promptly eliminated any merchandise containing sibutramine. However it admitted it was tough to search out and take away listings that did not explicitly point out sibutramine.

For those who do handle to get your fingers on Molecule, it is onerous to know precisely what you are getting - and it is unclear the place the drugs are being manufactured.

The BBC discovered some sellers with manufacturing certificates from factories in Guangzhou and Henan, in China. Others declare to be sourcing the drugs from Germany.

Some packets state they had been produced in Remagen in Germany - however the BBC has found there is no such thing as a such firm listed on the handle given.

Sure Kazakh distributors promoting Molecule to Russians advised the BBC they purchased inventory from buddies or warehouses within the capital Astana however could not title the unique provider.

Particulars of assist with consuming issues within the UK can be found at BBC Motion Line In the meantime, on-line eating-disorder communities have turn out to be areas the place Molecule is promoted, with customers counting on hashtags and coded phrases to slide previous moderation.

Ms Solovieva says Molecule is especially dangerous when taken by younger individuals who have already got consuming issues. For these in or close to relapse, an simply obtainable urge for food suppressant will be severely harmful, she says.

Anna Enina, a Russian influencer with tens of millions of followers who herself has admitted utilizing unlicensed weight-loss drugs up to now, publicly warned her subscribers: "As somebody who has struggled with an consuming dysfunction… the implications can be dire. You may remorse it tenfold."

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/ecdb/live/8a182510-b3eb-11f0-9fd1-ab405da544ae.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/ecdb/live/8a182510-b3eb-11f0-9fd1-ab405da544ae.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/ecdb/live/8a182510-b3eb-11f0-9fd1-ab405da544ae.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/ecdb/live/8a182510-b3eb-11f0-9fd1-ab405da544ae.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/ecdb/live/8a182510-b3eb-11f0-9fd1-ab405da544ae.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/ecdb/live/8a182510-b3eb-11f0-9fd1-ab405da544ae.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/ecdb/live/8a182510-b3eb-11f0-9fd1-ab405da544ae.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/ecdb/live/8a182510-b3eb-11f0-9fd1-ab405da544ae.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Maria from St Petersburg now discourages others from trying Molecule" class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> Maria from St Petersburg now discourages others from making an attempt Molecule

Twenty-two-year outdated Maria suffered unhealthy negative effects, and is a type of who regrets it. After taking too many Molecule drugs, she was despatched to hospital.

Now she discourages different younger ladies and women from taking the drugs in weight-loss boards. She even reached out to at least one teenage consumer's mother and father to alert them.