MHRA Seizes Record 20 Million Doses of Illegal Medicines in 2025

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), in collaboration with law enforcement partners, seized nearly 20 million doses of illegally traded medicines during 2025. These seized products had a potential street value estimated at approximately £45 million.

The MHRA's financial investigators also made significant strides, preventing criminals from accessing over £2.1 million in assets connected to the illicit medicine trade.

Record Seizures and Product Breakdown

The extensive crackdown in 2025 led to the confiscation of a wide array of dangerous products. Seizures included almost 10 million doses of sedatives and sleeping pills, more than 4 million doses of powerful painkillers, and over 4 million doses of erectile dysfunction treatments.

The MHRA's Criminal Enforcement Unit (CEU) also confiscated more than 5,000 illegally traded GLP-1 products, often promoted as weight loss medicines.

Tackling Illicit Production and Online Sales

A significant operation involved dismantling an illicit manufacturing facility in Northampton in October. This facility was found to be producing and distributing unlicensed weight-loss injections.

Beyond physical seizures, the CEU actively worked with internet service providers to disrupt over 1,500 websites and social media accounts involved in illegally selling medical products. Additionally, more than 1,200 social media posts promoting these illicit items were removed during the year.

Leveraging Technology and Partnerships

In 2025, the MHRA strengthened its collaboration with online industry partners, including eBay, to enhance efforts against illegal medicine sales. A new AI algorithm, developed with eBay, proved highly successful. It identified and blocked over 2 million violations of company policies regarding prescription-only and non-compliant over-the-counter medicines before they could be offered for sale.

Official Statement from MHRA Enforcement

Andy Morling, MHRA Deputy Director of Enforcement, highlighted the agency's impact:

"The agency removed more illegally traded medicines in 2025 than in previous years, totaling nearly 20 million doses, an increase from 17 million in 2024. He emphasized that all these products posed potential dangers to the public."

Morling reiterated that the MHRA's focus remains on preventing these dangerous products from reaching the public. He urged individuals to exercise extreme caution when purchasing powerful medicines online, advising them to use registered pharmacies due to the serious health risks associated with illegally sold products.

The Perils of Unauthorised Medicines

Unauthorised medicines have not undergone assessment by the MHRA for their safety, effectiveness, or the quality and hygiene of their manufacturing and distribution processes.

Consumers purchasing such products cannot be assured of their contents or potential for harm.

Most seized medicines are not authorised for sale in the UK. This means they may contain incorrect dosages of declared active ingredients or other harmful substances, posing significant and unpredictable health risks to those who consume them.