Press Releases
05/06/2026
Attorney General Tong Announces Online Platform to Cease Bootleg GLP-1 Weight Loss Drug Sales Nationwide Following Connecticut Investigation
(Hartford, CT) – As part of Connecticut’s continuing crackdown on the sale of bootleg GLP-1 weight loss drugs, Attorney General William Tong announced today that international trade platform Made-in-China will cease all sales of unlawful so-called “research grade” GLP-1s into the United States.In May 2025, Attorney General Tong announced an investigation into the international trade platform over unlawful sales of bootleg GLP-1 weight loss drugs direct to Connecticut consumers without prescriptions or any medical oversight. “Research grade” GLP-1s are not FDA approved for human use, and studies have found that bootleg GLP-1s can contain impurities, potential bacterial contamination, and inconsistent quantities of active ingredients, which can result in medication overdoses. Despite this, sellers may falsely claim that such drugs are FDA-approved or are “generic” versions of Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Mounjaro ®, or Zepbound®.
Made-in-China cooperated with the investigation and has now entered into a settlement agreement with Connecticut that prohibits manufacturers from using the platform to advertise or sell GLP-1s to customers in the United States. The company must deploy a monitoring system to detect and remove such listings and remove any GLP-1 listings within five days. The international trade platform is further subject to a $300,000 penalty to the state, suspended after $30,000. Should the company violate any terms of the settlement, it will be subject to additional penalties.
This settlement follows a similar agreement reached in 2025 with Triggered Brand. That settlement required the company to cease all sales of bootleg GLP-1 weight loss drugs, resolving a lawsuit brought by the state in May 2025 alleging violations of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act. As part of the settlement, Triggered Brand was also 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.
Also today, Attorney General Tong announced a settlement with Radiance Medspa of Avon, which advertised and prescribed non-FDA approved compounded semaglutide and/or tirzepatide GLP-1 weight loss injections. The settlement follows letters sent in May 2025 to Connecticut clinics and spas warning that they could no longer market GLP-1 drugs produced by compounding pharmacies, and noting that the FDA had 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. Attorney General Tong reached a similar settlement with Advanced Medical Weight Loss of East Hartford in June 2025. Both companies have ceased all advertising and sales of the compounded drugs and are subject to civil penalties.
“There are currently no generic GLP-1 weight loss injections on the market, and anyone advertising or offering this is not telling the truth and exposing patients to potentially unsafe bootleg drugs. We will continue to identify and shut down sales of these illegal and unsafe products. Additional enforcement actions are active and ongoing, and we will not hesitate to take strong action to protect patients and consumers,” said Attorney General Tong.
Assistant Attorney General Kate Hagmann-Borenstein and Deputy Associate Attorney General Michael Wertheimer, Chief of the Consumer Protection Section are assisting the Attorney General in this matter.
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Media Contact:
Elizabeth Benton
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