Bootleg GLP-1 Weight Loss Drug Distributor to Cease Unlawful Sales in Settlement with State

Press Releases

08/05/2025

Bootleg GLP-1 Weight Loss Drug Distributor to Cease Unlawful Sales in Settlement with State

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong announced today that Triggered Brand will cease all sales of bootleg GLP-1 weight loss drugs, resolving a lawsuit brought by the state in May alleging violations of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.

As part of the settlement, Triggered Brand will also be subject to a $300,000 judgment, suspended after $18,500. Should Triggered violate the terms of the settlement, the company and its CEO Sam Stolt will be responsible for the full $300,000 judgment.

“Triggered Brand and its CEO Sam Stolt sold knockoff drugs direct to Connecticut consumers with no prescriptions, no medical oversight, and no safety controls. This was unsafe and unlawful, and we’re shutting it down,” said Attorney General Tong. “Our investigations into other bootleg sellers are active and ongoing, and we will not hesitate to use the full weight of our law enforcement authority to protect patient safety. Do not buy these medications online without a prescription. Talk to your doctor and pharmacy, and do not take risks with your health and safety.”

“We know it can be expensive and difficult to obtain certain prescription medications, especially when it comes to GLP-1s, but it is critical for your health and safety that you only obtain these drugs from a licensed pharmacist after speaking with your doctor and getting a prescription,” said Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli. “Selling bootleg drugs is a crime and it is dangerous. Thank you to Attorney General Tong and his team for their attention to this important issue.”

The lawsuit filed by the Office of the Attorney General alleged that Triggered sold “research grade” GLP-1 peptides direct to Connecticut consumers for weight loss without prescriptions or any medical oversight. “Research Grade” GLP-1s are not FDA approved for human use.

GLP-1s are prescription medications that may be sold only by pharmacies upon receipt of a valid prescription by a licensed healthcare provider. It is illegal to sell GLP-1s for human injection without a pharmacist’s license and a prescription identifying the individual patient for whom the medication is prescribed. No comparable standards exist for companies selling raw peptides and other compounds to laboratories for scientific research. These are not FDA approved for human or veterinary use. Bad actors, including Triggered, exploited that lack of regulatory oversight to sell research-grade semaglutide and tirzepatide direct to consumers for personal use. These bootleg products have been found to contain impurities, including possible bacterial contamination, as well as inconsistent quantities of active ingredients. Research-grade compounded drugs are typically manufactured overseas, under standards not meant for human consumption. The products are untested and unregulated. Consumers who purchase and use these products must reconstitute the powders on their own into an injectable form. There is no oversight from doctors, enabling anyone to purchase these products, including those who are not overweight and may be suffering from eating disorders.

Investigation into Made in China Ongoing

In May, Attorney General Tong issued a Civil Investigative Demand to Made In China, a Chinese international trade platform that advertises and sells “research grade” GLP-1s to United States consumers as injectable weight loss medications. The Civil Investigative Demand sought information about Made in China and its affiliates’ marketing and sales of “research grade” GLP-1s, as well as information about the factories that manufacture “research grade” GLP-1s sold on its platform. Sellers on Made in China’s online marketplace have freely advertised semaglutide, tirzepatide, and other GLP-1 inhibitors as weight loss injections. Sellers on Made in China’s platform have also advertised that they can mail products in packaging meant to evade customs enforcement. That investigation is ongoing.

Letters to Connecticut Weight Loss Clinics and Med Spas

Also in May, Attorney General Tong sent letters to Connecticut weight loss clinics and med spas warning them that they can no longer market GLP-1 drugs produced by compounding pharmacies. The letter notes that the FDA has identified multiple health and safety concerns associated with these compounded weight loss drugs, including dosing errors, use of salt forms sourced from overseas factories with spotty inspection records, and multiple adverse event reports, including some requiring medical intervention. Despite this, many Connecticut healthcare providers continue to inappropriately advertise and prescribe these compounded GLP-1 medications, often claiming falsely that such drugs are FDA-approved or are “generic” versions of Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Mounjaro ®, or Zepbound®.

The letter cautioned that advertising and sale of these compounded medications may violate the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act. The Office of the Attorney General is prepared to take appropriate action against businesses and individuals who continue to engage in the unfair and deceptive conduct described above.

Need for Stronger Federal Action

In February, Attorney General Tong joined a 38-state and territory bipartisan coalition requesting that the Food and Drug Administration take swift action against bad actors endangering consumers with counterfeit forms of the weight loss and diabetes drugs Mounjaro®, Zepbound®, Ozempic®, and Wegovy® (GLP-1 drugs).
The letter stated that “online retailers are illegally selling the active ingredients of GLP-1 drugs directly to consumers, without a prescription. These retailers claim that the active ingredients they sell are ‘for research purposes only’ or ‘not for human consumption’. In reality, these companies advertise directly to consumers on social media, claiming that their products are an easier and more affordable way to obtain GLP-1 drugs. Much like with counterfeit versions, these active ingredients come from unregulated, undisclosed sources and pose risks of contamination and inclusion of foreign substances.

The letter declared that the Food and Drug Administration has the expertise and resources to stop the bad conduct and deceptive practices by counterfeit drug manufacturers and that they should increase enforcement actions against the dealers and suppliers who are illegally participating in this market. It also encourages the FDA to partner with state pharmacy boards to provide increased oversight of compounding pharmacies and ensure that compounded GLP-1 drugs are produced safely and in sanitary environments.

Assistant Attorney General Kate Hagmann-Borenstein, Deputy Associate Attorney General Michael Wertheimer, Chief of the Consumer Protection Section, and Paralegal Specialist Casey Rybak are assisting the Attorney General in this matter.

Twitter: @AGWilliamTong

Facebook: CT Attorney General

Media Contact:

Elizabeth Benton
elizabeth.benton@ct.gov

Consumer Inquiries:

860-808-5318
attorney.general@ct.gov