Scam weight-loss drops marketed to Australians contain ‘basically salty water’, analysis finds

Exclusive: Scientists from UNSW school of chemistry analyse sample of treatment, bought online and purported to mimic effects of Ozempic, and find nothing more than saline solution

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A scam weight-loss treatment marketed to Australians as an “oral solution” that mimics the effects of Ozempic contains nothing more than a watery saline solution similar to eye drops, analysis has revealed.

Guardian Australia revealed last month that online “ghost stores” masquerading as Australian businesses had expanded into advertising weight-loss treatments and were impersonating real people to recommend their products.