Dutch hospitals issue warning after fake weight-loss drugs cause comas
Two Dutch patients have fallen into comas after injecting counterfeit weight-loss medication purchased online, prompting urgent joint warnings from hospitals and health authorities. Doctors and pharmacists at the Deventer Hospital and the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Dordrecht issued the alert after treating the individuals for life-threatening complications, the AD reports.
A 54-year-old man from Deventer who had previously used legitimate, prescribed weight-loss pens through an independent treatment clinic turned to the internet when shortages made the medication unavailable. At around the same time in Dordrecht, a 47-year-old woman was admitted to the Albert Schweitzer Hospital.
Both individuals injected what they believed were weight-loss drugs, but instead fell into severe comas. Laboratory testing revealed that the pens bought online did not contain weight-loss active ingredients, like semaglutide. Instead, they were filled with insulin.
For individuals without diabetes, injecting a high dose of insulin causes blood sugar levels to plunge catastrophically; this is also described in the medical world as severe hypoglycemia. This drop deprives the brain of glucose, rapidly triggering seizures, permanent brain damage, or a comatose state.
This incident coincides with an alarming surge in illicit weight-loss drug activity across the Netherlands. The Dutch National Poisons Information Center (NVIC) reported that poisoning cases involving injectable weight-loss drugs nearly doubled to 149 cases annually.
Global shortages of popular GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy have driven hundreds of thousands of users to unverified online storefronts, social media marketplaces, and illegal traders.
Toxicologists concurrently warned of unapproved, highly potent alternatives like Retatrutide, nicknamed "Triple G,” circulating through informal channels, which carry massive overdose risks.
Medical professionals, the Albert Schweitzer Hospital, and the Dutch Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ) strongly advise never to buy injection pens online from web shops, trading sites, or social media platforms.
Authentic weight-loss medications are prescription-only and should strictly be obtained via a registered doctor and a licensed physical or digital pharmacy.
They also tell people to inspect any packaging closely. Counterfeit products often feature mismatched serial numbers, spelling mistakes, unaligned labels, or foreign text not meant for the local market.
