Former Olympic boxer Anthony Fowler is reportedly selling unlicensed weight-loss peptides through his company, Supreme Peptides, a move that scientists warn could put consumers' lives at risk. An investigation found that the business, an offshoot of Fowler's Supreme CBD firm, offered a product similar to the licensed drug Mounjaro without disclosing its contents or providing medical guidance beyond instructing users to self-inject over several weeks to achieve weight loss.
Under UK law, companies selling products that make medical claims, including those for obesity treatments, must obtain authorization from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Evidence suggests Supreme Peptides lacks this necessary approval for its offerings. The MHRA has stated that it takes regulatory compliance action against products that are classified as medicines but are not appropriately authorized.
One product listed on the Supreme Peptides website, Tesamorelin, is used in the U.S. for HIV patients and to reduce abdominal fat but is not an authorized medicine in the UK. Its sale or supply in the UK is therefore illegal. The company was offering 10mg of Tesamorelin for £89.99.
Channa Jayasena, a professor of medicine at Imperial College London, expressed deep concern over the availability of such unlicensed products to individuals seeking weight loss. Jayasena highlighted the complex and hazardous chemical processes involved in peptide synthesis and purification, emphasizing that black market products may contain impurities and lack guaranteed content. Potential risks associated with such substances include increased cancer risk and organ damage.
The investigation revealed that a representative, identified as Anthony Lloyd and linked to Fowler's business, offered a 40mg dose of a weight-loss peptide for £120. This package included injection paraphernalia and was claimed to have been tested in a London lab. Despite inquiries about its similarity to Mounjaro, the representative stated it had 'no side effects' and claimed Fowler's brother had lost two stone using it. The representative provided vague instructions on dosage, advising 2mg per week for three to four weeks and to 'see what kind of results you get,' without inquiring about the buyer's health status or Body Mass Index.
When a second undercover customer inquired about the product's similarity to Ozempic, Lloyd stated it 'slows down (your) appetite' and that the 40mg dosage could last two to three months. Attempts to obtain an image of the specific product bottle or details about its chemical ingredients were met with evasiveness, with Lloyd referring to it as a 'weight-loss peptide' and claiming it was for 'research purposes,' a designation Professor Jayasena described as 'deeply worrying and completely incongruous' with the direct solicitation of the public.
Fowler has reportedly faced challenges with Instagram, with his account being suspended multiple times, leading him to direct followers to alternative accounts and a new TikTok presence to promote his peptide business. His previous venture, Supreme CBD, has been listed by the Advertising Standards Authority as a repeat offender for making unsubstantiated medical claims about its cannabis oil products.
Fowler did not respond to questions regarding the necessity of MHRA approval for selling obesity treatments, the nature of the research his customers were told the peptides were for, why the specific weight-loss peptide was not pictured on his website, or the identity and location of his London testing lab and supplier.