By Walter Beaver and Francis “Franky” Facts | North of Polite Fact Department

Health Canada is warning Canadians not to buy or inject unauthorized peptides and related drugs sold online after laboratory testing found bacteria in products supplied through an overseas seller. The federal agency reported on November 6 that more than 11,400 vials were seized from the supplier and two Canadian online retailers.

The products were marketed with claims involving weight loss, muscle growth, anti-aging and wellness. For consumers, the danger is not that a website looks unprofessional. It is that a convincing website cannot prove what is inside a vial or whether it was manufactured, stored and transported safely.

What the investigation established

Health Canada identified Shanghai ERP Peptide Biotechnology Co., Ltd. as a supplier of unauthorized injectable peptide and non-peptide products. It listed examples including human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), MOTS-C, NAD+, retatrutide, tesamorelin and tirzepatide, and reported enforcement measures involving Canadian online retailers. Laboratory tests found bacterial contamination in products that the supplier sold online.

The agency did not say every seized vial was contaminated. Nor does this warning mean that all authorized medications containing a similarly named ingredient are unsafe. The alert concerns unauthorized products outside Canada’s normal drug approval and quality-assurance system.

Contaminated injections can lead to serious infection. Unauthorized drugs can also contain incorrect amounts of an active substance, undisclosed ingredients or other harmful contaminants. Health Canada says unassessed injectable drugs may carry unpredictable health risks.

How to check before buying

Health Canada advises consumers to use prescription drugs under the care of a licensed health professional and obtain them from licensed pharmacies. Authorized drugs sold in Canada typically carry an eight-digit Drug Identification Number, or DIN, which can be checked using Health Canada’s Drug Product Database. Packaging that says “For Research Use Only” does not make a substance appropriate for human injection.

If you have already injected an unauthorized product and develop fever, chills, redness, swelling or pain at the injection site, or feel unwell, seek immediate medical attention. Ask a pharmacist or local authority how to dispose of suspect products safely; do not give them to anyone else.

Health Canada encourages reports of side effects and complaints about unauthorized health products. Its November 6 public advisory contains the affected examples and the agency’s instructions.

The number of products seized shows the scale of the enforcement action. More importantly, the alert is a reminder that health claims, scientific-looking labels and online testimonials are not substitutes for independent regulatory safeguards.

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