Inside South Africa's compounded weight-loss drug crisis

GLP-1 drugs - referring to the hormone that regulates blood glucose levels and appetite, used in the global fight against obesity.

In a significant regulatory move, South Africa's Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) and the South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) are targeting the booming market for compounded weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro.

Following an investigation into the country's unregulated aesthetics industry, authorities have raided a Pretoria-based compounding pharmacy, seizing a stockpile of unregistered injectable products.

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) and the South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) have conducted a major enforcement action in the GLP-1 sector, raiding a Pretoria compounding pharmacy and seizing a stockpile of unregistered injectable products.

This raid has sparked a legal dispute, with experts warning that it may signal the end of South Africa's largely unregulated compounded weight-loss drug market.