Wrong weight loss injections

Money poured in, but the kilos remained on the hips

Criminal trial about counterfeit weight loss injections in the regional court of Steyr (Upper Austria). A doctor and a drug dealer made money while patients got into trouble. The doctor and the dealer have now each been convicted of negligent bodily harm - not yet legally binding. 

Runners lose a lot of weight, even as amateur athletes, and probably don't need the weight loss injection that was the subject of the trial at Steyr Regional Court. It had to be adjourned twice, then the hearings dragged on unexpectedly and there were several appointments. The two defendants (46, 54) - a plastic surgeon and a trader - did not confess and, according to observers, were very talkative and in need of explanation.

After all, the aim was to fend off an impending conviction for assault and violation of the Medicines Act. The doctor could even face up to five years in prison.

The prosecution accused the dealer of passing on counterfeit Ozempic slimming syringes; the doctor's case was aggravated by the fact that he had allegedly passed them on to patients wishing to lose weight. The doctor is said to have charged 499 euros per pack, while in pharmacies, where the drug is usually out of stock, it sells for 199 euros. The doctor himself is said to have paid 205 euros for each of the 225 pens he obtained in just one month.

The doctor continued to prescribe the drug even though a patient had already drawn his attention to the side effects.

Opferanwältin spricht von Vorsatz

However, because the syringes, which look very different from the original - see picture below - contained insulin instead of the active ingredient semaglutide, they did not work; on the contrary, three patients are said to have suffered complications. The complaint of a 32-year-old woman started the investigation.

A civil lawsuit against the doctor ended in a settlement. The non-final verdicts at the criminal trial on Monday: six months suspended for three years for negligent bodily harm against both of them. The dealer must also pay a fine of 720 euros and the doctor 6600 euros. MS