Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Mounjaro (tirzepatide), has reacted after authorities in Gurugram busted a racket involved in the manufacturing and sale of fake diabetes and weight-loss injections, leading to the arrest of two people and a nationwide alert to trace counterfeit batches.
“We have been made aware of a recent development in relation to the seizure of suspicious and counterfeit products that allegedly carry our product brand name Mounjaro (Tirzepatide)...Lilly takes patient safety extremely seriously and welcomes regulatory authority's action against illicit medicines,” Eli Lilly and Company (India) spokesperson said.
The company also said it is supporting the ongoing investigation and stressed that stronger, coordinated enforcement is needed to protect patients from counterfeit drugs.
Drug Control Officer Amandeep Chauhan said investigators are probing the wider network behind the illegal operation.
“We received information about a fake injection chain operating in Gurugram and acting on this information, we conducted a raid”, Chauhan said.
Acting on inputs, a Health Department team raided a residential society in Sector 62 on Monday and arrested two persons, including the alleged kingpin.
Officials said the accused were importing raw pharmaceutical materials from China and manufacturing counterfeit Mounjaro injections inside a flat in the society. The finished products were then allegedly sold through the B2B portal Indiamart.
The breakthrough came after authorities recovered injections worth Rs 70 lakh from a vehicle in DLF Phase 4 on Saturday (April 18), which led to further raids.
“Afterwards, all the packaging, barcode affixing and labelling were done in the same flat. The team also recovered packaging machines,” officials said.
Investigators said the injections were being prepared by mixing water with raw drugs before being packaged for sale.
Police first arrested Mujjamil, a deliveryman from DLF Phase 4, and later took Avi Sharma, identified as the alleged mastermind, into custody. Mujjamil is from Uttar Pradesh, while Avi Sharma is from Gurugram.
“A nationwide alert has been issued regarding the injections. Batch numbers have also been shared so that health department teams can remain vigilant and detect counterfeit injections.
“An investigation into the entire network is underway to determine where the fake injections were supplied and how many people are involved in this racket,” said Chauhan.
Mounjaro is a weekly injectable medication used for type 2 diabetes management that helps control blood sugar levels and also supports weight loss.
Experts have warned that counterfeit versions of such medicines can pose serious health risks, while officials noted that rising demand is being exploited by illegal operators introducing fake products into the market.