Key Summary
- A major illicit weight-loss jab manufacturing facility was dismantled in Northampton in October.
- MHRA worked closely with online industry partners to block the illegal sale and supply of medicines in the UK.
- They also denied criminals access to more than £2.1 million in assets linked to the illegal trade in medicines.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) had in 2025 seized almost 20 million doses of illegally traded medicines, including ten million doses of sedatives and sleeping pills, with a potential street value of nearly £45 million.
The other seized items include over four million doses of powerful painkillers, and more than four million doses of erectile dysfunction treatments.
The medicine regulator’s Criminal Enforcement Unit (CEU) also seized more than 5,000 illegally traded GLP-1 products, commonly marketed as ‘weight loss’ medicines.
The CEU, in coordination with law enforcement agencies, dismantled a major illicit weight-loss jab manufacturing facility in Northampton in October.
The unit also worked with internet service providers to disrupt more than 1,500 websites and social media accounts illegally selling medical products to the public.
The MHRA has been working closely with online industry partners to block the illegal sale and supply of medicines in the UK.
Using an AI algorithm developed with eBay, the MHRA blocked many products before they could be offered for sale to the public.
They also denied criminals access to more than £2.1 million in assets linked to the illegal trade in medicines.
MHRA deputy director, enforcement, Andy Morling, said in 2025 the seizure of illegally traded medicines was 3 million doses higher than in 2024.
"Criminals see this trade as easy money, but our relentless efforts are making it increasingly difficult for them to operate. Our focus last year, as always, has been firmly on stopping these dangerous products from reaching the public in the first place,” Morling said.
"I would urge everyone to think very carefully before buying powerful medicines online. If something looks or feels wrong, it probably is."
Those buying unauthorised medicines have been warned that they may cause harm as these medicines have not been tested by the MHRA for safety and effectiveness.
