Companies selling illegal and unlicensed weight-loss drugs in the UK are collecting high Trustpilot scores, raising serious concerns that regulatory gaps are allowing high-risk operators to appear credible and lure vulnerable consumers into dangerous markets.
A Guardian investigation found that Retatrutide UK held a Trustpilot score of 4.4 despite purporting to sell retatrutide – an experimental drug that is unlicensed and illegal to sell or buy in Britain. The website advertises a 20mg retatrutide injection pen for £132.
Retatrutide UK is one of several operators using the review platform to present themselves as trustworthy. Academics say the findings show how easily consumers can be drawn into unregulated and unsafe online drug markets. One reviewer wrote on Trustpilot: “So far so good. My pen arrived quickly and … First few pounds off and still feeling well with it. Would recommend.” The company did not respond to requests for comment.
Retatrutide, developed by US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, is still undergoing clinical trials. Early results suggest it could enable patients to lose up to a quarter of their body weight, prompting online hype labelling it “the next Ozempic”. Ozempic itself is not licensed for weight loss in the UK.
However, buying retatrutide from unregulated sellers carries severe risks. Products purchased online may contain incorrect ingredients, inaccurate dosages or be prepared in unsafe, non-sterile environments. Contaminated or incorrectly dosed injectable hormones can cause infections, dangerous blood sugar crashes, pancreatitis and cardiovascular complications. Using a clinical-trial drug outside legitimate medical supervision is considered highly unsafe and potentially life-threatening.
Alluvi Health Care, a company recently raided by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and police for manufacturing and distributing unlicensed drugs, also appeared on Trustpilot with a 3.5 rating. Trustpilot’s AI-generated summary claimed: “Customers are generally satisfied with the company’s products, order processing and delivery service.” Alluvi Health Care did not comment.
Another seller, Retatide, claims its product is “powered by retatrutide, a cutting-edge triple-action peptide formula” and tells customers that “people are switching daily after stalling on Mounjaro or Tirzepatide”. Its Trustpilot rating stood at 4.6 with numerous five-star reviews. The seller told the Guardian it had “disengaged from Retatide.com and Retatrutide … several months ago”.
A separate website, Retatrutide Pens, had a 4.7 rating despite displaying an “immediate closure notice”. Trustpilot’s algorithm nonetheless stated that customers “overwhelmingly had a great experience”.
The investigation also found TikTok accounts offering Black Friday deals on retatrutide and similar drugs. One promotional post read: “Yep … it’s happening” alongside a banner promising “20% off + free next day” delivery, using coded hashtags such as “ratatouille” for retatrutide. A TikTok spokesperson said the platform bans trading and marketing of high-risk goods and had removed hashtags including #retatrutide and #reta.
Emily Rickard from the University of Bath said: “In our research we consistently uncover advertising rule breaches across regulated online weight-loss services, exposing how weak the current safeguards are even surrounding officially approved products. Against that backdrop, the prevalence of illegal sellers offering unlicensed drugs like retatrutide – and presenting themselves as legitimate via glowing Trustpilot reviews – is especially alarming and dangerous.”
Dr Piotr Ozieranski, also from Bath, said regulators should begin “proactively” investigating suspected unethical practices. “Currently, it feels that the worst that can happen is that a company gets a slap on the wrist, and the public is often left unprotected.”
Chris Emmis, co-founder of verification firm KwikChex, said: “Rogue and criminal operators rely on social media and supposedly ‘trusted’ online reviews to persuade consumers to buy these products. Urgent action is needed.”
Trustpilot has since blocked all businesses identified in the investigation. A spokesperson said it is an “open review platform, meaning that anyone can create a profile for a business and submit a review”, but added that it removes and blocks companies that do not align with its ethical standards.
They noted: “As with other misuse, such as review fabrication, bad actors are continuously evolving their tactics in an attempt to circumvent our detection.”
An MHRA spokesperson emphasised: “Public safety is the number one priority for the MHRA, and its criminal enforcement unit works hard to prevent, detect and investigate illegal activity involving medicines and medical devices and takes robust enforcement action where necessary.”
