Anvisa warns of health risks from illegal Paraguayan slimming pens

Brazil's health regulator Anvisa issued an urgent alert that unregistered slimming pens smuggled from Paraguay are not equivalent to approved medicines such as Mounjaro. Laboratory tests by Unicamp confirmed the presence of the active ingredient tirzepatida, used for type‑2 diabetes and obesity, but did not assess impurities, sterility, metal contamination, degradation or biodisponibility, leaving safety and efficacy unproven.

Federal police launched Operation Perigosa Caneta in Rio de Janeiro to investigate a scheme importing and selling the unregistered pens. Raids in Volta Redonda resulted in three search warrants and the seizure of the products, as the illicit market for weight‑loss pens has reportedly grown by more than 200% in the first quarter of 2026.

In a related incident, the president of the municipal council of Ipatinga was detained by the Federal Highway Police while traveling in an official vehicle when a bag containing illegal Paraguayan slimming pens and other unapproved medicines was discovered. The official admitted ownership of the material, which has been referred to the Federal Police.

Anvisa stressed that the lack of bioequivalence and full quality testing means the contraband pens cannot be considered safe or effective alternatives to authorized treatments.