A woman nearly died after using a fake weight-loss injection containing insulin, bought online, which caused a diabetic coma.

A 47-year-old woman from Oxfordshire nearly died after using a counterfeit weight-loss injection she bought on Facebook, which contained insulin instead of the intended medication. The fake pen, purchased for £150, caused her blood sugar to drop dangerously low, leading to a diabetic coma and emergency hospitalization. She had previously lost two stone using a legitimate prescription but struggled to access legal treatments after menopause. The MHRA has seized over 6,500 counterfeit pens in the UK since 2023, highlighting a growing black market fueled by social media ads. Health experts warn against buying weight-loss drugs online, stressing that legitimate medications require medical consultation and prescriptions.