MHRA raids the UK's first identified illicit weight-loss injection factory

Officers from the MHRA's Criminal Enforcement Unit, supported by Northamptonshire Police, raided a warehouse in Northampton over two days beginning 22 October 2025 — the first identified illicit weight-loss injection manufacturing facility in the UK.

What was found

Officers seized over £250,000 worth of product, tens of thousands of empty pens ready to be filled, raw chemical ingredients, packaging and manufacturing equipment, around £20,000 in cash, and more than 2,000 unlicensed pens labelled as retatrutide and tirzepatide awaiting dispatch. The site was producing counterfeit versions of Eli Lilly's licensed tirzepatide alongside unlicensed retatrutide, a drug with no marketing authorisation anywhere in the world.

Why it matters

This is the enforcement record behind the MHRA's public warning that products sold in the UK claiming to contain retatrutide are likely illegal and potentially dangerous. It's also the first of three confirmed actions against unlicensed retatrutide operations tracked on this site — see the full UK status page for the complete picture.