zempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are among the most in-demand drugs today. Described as weight-loss miracles, the brand-name drugs have faced shortages and competition from compounding pharmacies that make and sell cheaper versions. Now, knock-offs of the drugs are being advertised and sold online—no prescription required.

WSJ’s Rolfe Winkler and Sara Ashley O’Brien identified more than 50 websites selling semaglutide and tirzepatide, the drugs’ active ingredients, with disclaimers that say the drugs are intended for research use only. The FDA has called such disclaimers “bogus” and advised against buying the substances, as they haven’t been tested by the agency.

Some of these websites have advertised on Instagram or Facebook, sharing messages like “Make HUGE GAINZ in your research this year” or promoting “buy 1 get 2 free” deals. Steven Lynn, the former director of the FDA’s Drug Office of Manufacturing and Product Quality, said that widespread use of the unregulated versions of these drugs could quickly become a public-health issue. Get the full story below.

Elsewhere in the newsletter: Learn about the actors and industry insiders who are feeding protestors at the SAG-Aftra strike picket lines; check out this week’s edition of My Monday Morning, in which singer Rita Ora describes her experience performing on Love Island as a fan of the reality television show; read about how the new cast of Real Housewives of New York City better represents the women who live and work in the Big Apple; and enjoy Jacob Gallagher’s latest column on how Javier Milei’s surprise victory in Argentina’s presidential primary came with a second shock: his baffling hairdo.

P.S. Please join us for WSJ Tech Live October 16–18 and hear from some of the biggest names across industries. Speakers will include Arnold Schwarzenegger, OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman and CTO Mira Murati, John Legend and more. Sign up for your complimentary virtual access here.