A new weight loss craze has taken over Russian social media: the Molecule pill. Sold freely on the internet and published on TikTok, it has been identified as a “dangerous shortcut” for losing weight and worries doctors and authorities in the country.
The medicine promises quick and natural results, but has sent young people to hospitals for causing serious adverse effects, such as tachycardia, anxiety, insomnia and even hallucinations. Doctors and health authorities have already sounded the alarm about the indiscriminate use of the substance.
“Natural” ingredients
Molecule’s packaging displays a seemingly harmless formula, with dandelion root and fennel seed extract. But laboratory tests revealed that the pills contain sibutramine, an old appetite suppressant banned in the United States and several European countries due to cardiovascular risks.
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Sibutramine was originally used as an antidepressant in the 1980s, but was prescribed for weight loss until it was removed from many markets. Studies showed that, although it promoted slight weight loss, it increased the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Economy and risk
Molecule’s appeal is its low cost. Each vial for 20 days of use costs between R$43 and R$50, according to a BBC News survey, well below semaglutide injections (such as Ozempic and Wegovy), whose prices vary from R$280 to more than R$1,100.
This difference has fueled an informal market that mixes sellers with “certificates” from Chinese factories and intermediaries who claim to import from Germany.
Experts warn that the product may be manufactured without sanitary control and distributed via e-commerce, making traceability difficult.
The phenomenon reflects a global trend: the weight loss drug market, driven by influencers and digital platforms, generates billions and grows 14% per year, according to data from IQVIA, a technology company that collects global health figures.
With the popularization of illegal and generic versions, the risk of collapse in healthcare systems increases, especially in countries where controlled medicines are expensive or scarce.
Mercado
The global weight-loss drug market is experiencing rapid expansion, which helps explain part of the logic behind the emergence of drugs like the Russian “Molecule” pill. According to a report by Morgan Stanley, the weight loss medicine market could reach US$150 billion by 2035, compared to around US$15 billion in sales in 2024. Market Research Future is betting that the global weight loss medicine market will reach the US$379 billion mark by 2035, with an annual growth rate of around 19.3% between 2025-2035.
At the same time, counterfeiting of medicines is becoming a global problem and is already a concern for the United Nations, which indicates that approximately 10.5% of all medicines worldwide are of inferior quality or counterfeit. Which becomes a dangerous recipe for those who urgently need to lose weight and have little money in their pockets.
