Mum's suspected 'skinny jab' death prompts calls for action against black market weight loss medications

You may have seen the news over the weekend regarding a UK woman who used "black market" weight loss medication at a local salon for £20 a jab. The drive for weight loss medications has created a boom in black market sales of medications.

From buying vials of powder that people have to self-mix to inject, £20 weight loss jabs on the high street, buying "legitimate" products from TikTok, and self-certified "advisors" on social media pages/groups advising people how to buy & use weight loss medications, there is a concern that there will be more people harmed in the UK if action is not taken.

“I think we're only just seeing the tip of the iceberg," Chair of the Health Select Committee, Layla Moran MP, tells ITV News Health Correspondent Rebecca Barry

The fresh calls for the UK’s medicines regulator to take “serious action” has occurred after ITV News revealed a death linked to fake so-called ‘skinny jabs’. The skinny jab ingredients are currently not yet known by ITV, but further details are expected to follow.

The chair of the Health Select Committee, Layla Moran MP, has written to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), saying it “must be the wake-up call” for the regulator to “crack down” on illegal weight loss injections.

Karen McGonigal, 53, from Salford in Greater Manchester, died days after she was illegally administered a £20 dose of alleged semaglutide at a beauty salon.

"These people are getting away with destroying people’s lives," Abbie said.

In an exclusive interview with ITV News, Karen’s family became the first in the UK to speak publicly about a death linked to fake weight loss jabs and getting them from places that do not hold the relevant qualifications or facilities to adequately assess a person for suitability to use weight loss medications.

Paying tribute to their “kind and loving” mother, Abbie and Ffion McGonigal told ITV News the authorities must do more to tackle the black market.

"These people are getting away with destroying people’s lives," Abbie said.

Expressing her condolences to the family, the Liberal Democrat MP, Layla Moran, described Karen’s death as “devastating”.

"What worries me is I'm not sure this is going to be the last, because what I'm not seeing from the government yet is a concerted effort to clamp down on this. I think we're only just seeing the tip of the iceberg.”

The Committee Chair said anyone who had injected another person or allowed someone to be injected with illegal weight loss drugs should face the same consequences as those dealing illicit drugs, like heroin.

“This is illegal and it is a criminal act, and those people should be facing the full force of the law and possible prison sentences if necessary.”

Greater Manchester Police has arrested one person on suspicion of manslaughter and another on suspicion of supplying a controlled substance. The police investigation is ongoing.

After viewing the ITV News report, Layla Moran wrote directly to the Chair of the MHRA, Professor Anthony Harnden, saying: “Recent investigations by ITV News have shone a light on this scandal...

“Abbie and Ffion McGonigal made an impassioned plea for action following the death of their mother, Karen.

"The tragic death of a loving mother of three and grandmother of four must be the wake-up call for serious action on this issue.”

The Health Select Committee recently launched an inquiry into food and weight management, which will also explore the trade in illegal black market jabs.

Layla Moran said ITV News’ findings will be included as evidence in the Parliamentary inquiry and has offered to meet Karen’s family.

Medications like Mounjaro, Wegovy and other GLP-1 Receptor Agonists must be provided only after a full health vetting process has been carried out. If safe and suitable, a prescription is raised by a registered & regulated healthcare professional. The prescription is then dispensed by a UK registered and regulated pharmacy. The official supply routes should always be followed when acquiring medications. If you have a concern regarding the supply of illicit medications, you can contact the MHRA directly via their Yellow Card Scheme.