US pharma giant Eli Lilly has launched legal action in the London High Court to block black-market websites selling ‘fake versions’ of its medicine.
Eli Lilly, the pharma giant behind the weight-loss drug Mounjaro, instructed American legal heavyweights Kirkland & Ellis to file a case in the English High Court, which appeared in the public system on Thursday. The group holds various trademarks, registered with the UK Intellectual Property Office, to protect its brands, pharmaceutical products, and related services.
The case names BT, EE, Plusnet, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media as defendants.
A spokesperson for Lilly told : “Lilly is taking action to block black-market websites selling fake versions of Lilly’s medicines.”
“What is being sold on these websites is not a medicine – it is entirely unverified, unauthorised, and not worth the risk. Regulators and law enforcement worldwide have warned of the potentially serious risks of fake medicines. We will continue working to protect patients and stamp out this illegal market,” they explained.
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SUBSCRIBE HEREUnder English law, when a company wants to shut down offshore websites selling counterfeit products, it must apply to the High Court for an order requiring internet service providers (ISPs) to block UK consumers from accessing those sites.
This follows the High Court in May granting the first-ever medicine blocking order against ISPs, which required major British ISPs, such as BT, Virgin and Sky, to block websites selling counterfeit and unlicensed versions of Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide and other prescription-only medicines.
Battle against fake jabs
An estimated 1.6m adults in England, Wales and Scotland used drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro to help lose weight, according to research by BMC Medicine. But because of high demand, limited NHS supply, and tougher checks, the UK is experiencing a major surge in counterfeit jabs.
Earlier this year the health regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), issued specific warnings about falsified 15mg Mounjaro KwikPens that were distributed through unauthorised channels.
Lilly has also launched a public awareness campaign in Ireland, where it has a manufacturing presence, urging people to use medications only from regulated sources and pharmacies as the surge of counterfeit weight-loss drugs continues to grow.
BT declined to comment. EE, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media were approached for comment.