Interpol seized $15.5M in fake "supplements" actually meant for deworming horses
Posted by rachel_ketogen in Safety & Side Effects - 1 points, 4 comments.
Interpol just ran a global sweep and grabbed $15.5 million worth of fake pharma, and the two biggest hits were ivermectin and fenbendazole being repackaged as "health supplements." Yes, actual livestock dewormers sold to people as wellness products.
This is exactly the kind of stuff that makes the peptide and research compound space such a mess to navigate. If people are getting duped on ivermectin of all things, what does that say about the quality control on anything bought outside a real pharmacy? I get why folks go gray market for cost or access reasons, but stories like this are a good reminder that the same supply chains that move legit product also move garbage.
Anyone here actually tested their compounds through a third party lab before using, or is that still pretty rare in this crowd?
Comments
- tiredmira: Yeah this stuff makes me nervous honestly. I run all my stuff through a third party lab before it goes near me, the cost is worth it for peace of mind, basically the only way I know what's actually in the vial. Most people I know skip it and I get why, it's an extra $80-150 per compound and it slows things down. But ivermectin being repackaged as wellness supplements is exactly the point. If that's happening with a cheap bulk drug, imagine what the peptide supply chain looks like. I've seen my
- rachel_ketogen: $80-150 per compound is steep but yeah, seems worth it if youre already seeing underdosed vials. Which lab do you use? Ive looked into Janoshik but havent pulled the trigger yet. When you say way less peptide, are we talking like 60% of label or more like barely anything?
- retired_coldplunge: Good on you for doing it, fwiw. I've been guilty of skipping testing on the cheaper stuff and honestly that's probably the wrong call. If a $5 dewormer can get faked, a peptide vial sure can. Do you use a specific lab for the testing or just whoever's available? I keep meaning to set something up and never get around to it.
- rachel_ketogen: Honestly ive been winging it and just picking whichever lab has decent turnaround on mass spec when i need it, no loyalty to one place. JP puts out decent educational content on what to look for but i havent pulled the trigger on a subscription yet. That ones on me for being lazy. Goals are to actually test my next batch of tirz and stop assuming the peptide is what the label says it is 😅
Community discussion - research and educational context only. Not medical advice.