Senate Republicans Request FDA Investigation into U.S. Weight Loss Drugs
Senate Republicans are urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to look into potential illegal Chinese ingredients in U.S. weight loss medications.
Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) has called on FDA Commissioner Martin McCulley to examine how much unregulated and illegal Chinese active pharmaceutical ingredients have infiltrated the U.S. supply chain, especially within commonly used weight loss drugs.
In a letter to McCulley, Cotton expressed concerns, stating, “China’s access to the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain not only poses significant health risks to American patients, it also poses national security risks.” This letter was initially reported by a news outlet.
Concerns Over Weight Loss Drugs and Mental Health
Cotton’s request comes in light of recent FDA and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reports revealing that from September 2023 to January 2025, 195 illegal shipments of active pharmaceutical ingredients were intercepted. Notably, around 60 of these shipments originated from China and Hong Kong.
“It is estimated that up to 1.5 million American patients may be using unregulated compound weight loss drugs that may contain potentially dangerous ingredients from Chinese manufacturers,” Cotton pointed out.
Investigation into Compounded Drugs
The troubling aspect is that these ingredients are often found in mixed versions of GLP-1 weight loss medications, which serve as alternatives to approved drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.
This month, the Department of Health and Human Services decided to refer the telemedicine company Hims & Hers to the Department of Justice due to potential violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act regarding their plans to sell compounded weight-loss drugs that lack FDA approval.
McCullley stated that the FDA intends to “take decisive action to restrict GLP-1 active pharmaceutical ingredients for use in non-FDA-approved compounded drugs that companies, like Hims & Hers, and other pharmacies sell in bulk as substitutes for FDA-approved products.”
Future Investigations Encouraged
Amid growing scrutiny, Hims & Hers announced last week that they would withdraw a weight loss drug that had been marketed as a cheaper alternative to Wegovy, following pressure from federal entities.
Cotton confirmed this withdrawal and pushed for ongoing investigations, suggesting, “We encourage further exploration into other organizations exposing U.S. patients to dangerous and unregulated Chinese APIs.”
