Products sold online found to contain banned weight loss drug, chemical similar to erectile dysfunction medicine: HSA

SINGAPORE — Three products sold online have been found to contain “potent ingredients” including a banned weight loss drug and a chemical related to an erectile dysfunction medicine, warned the Health Sciences Authority on Thursday (Aug 6). 

The products are: 

• Coco Curv, which contains sibutramine, a prescription-only-medicine for weight loss that has been banned here since 2010 

• Choco Fit, which also contains sibutramine 

• Hamer Candy, which contains nortadalafil, a chemical related to tadalafil, an erectile dysfunction medicine. 

“HSA’s analysis of the products revealed that, contrary to the listing of ingredients on the packaging, these products contained potent ingredients including a banned substance, sibutramine, that may pose serious health risks to consumers,” the authority said in a statement.

Coco Curv was first reported to HSA by a woman in Malaysia who suspected that the product could be harmful. It was marketed as a slimming product claiming to “burn fat and calories”, “boost energy and metabolism” and “control carbohydrate craving”, HSA said. 

During its investigations, HSA came across another product called Choco Fit that was sold online and also marketed for slimming. 

“HSA tested both products and detected sibutramine, which has been banned in Singapore since 2010 due to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, in both products,” it said. 

The third product, Hamer Candy, was reported to the HSA by a man who noted that it had been “previously detected to contain a potent ingredient”. 

Hamer Candy was packaged as a candy, but HSA found that it contained nortadalafil, which is chemically related to tadalafil, a prescription medicine used to treat male erectile dysfunction.

The use of nortadalafil may lead to increased risk of serious adverse effects including low blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks, the authority added. 

HSA said the products were sold on local e-commerce platforms such as Shopee and Qoo10, or social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, adding that it has issued warnings to the sellers and directed the respective website administrators to take down the listings.

HSA said that it had previously alerted the public to Hamer Candy in 2018 and Choco Fit last year, and had the postings and products taken down. 

“They have recently resurfaced online with new packaging, a common tactic undertaken by unscrupulous manufacturers in an attempt to evade detection and entice consumers,” HSA said. 

Consumers are advised to stop taking these products immediately and seek medical help if they feel unwell. They should also be wary of products that “make exaggerated claims or deliver unexpectedly quick effects”, as they can contain potent ingredients that can harm the health of users. 

Sellers and suppliers must also stop selling these products immediately, said HSA, as it is illegal to sell and supply adulterated products containing banned substances or potent chemical ingredients.

If convicted, sellers and suppliers may be imprisoned for up to two years or fined up to S$10,000, or both. 

Members of the public who have any information on the sale and supply of these illegal products may contact HSA's Enforcement Branch at 68663485 during office hours or email hsa_is [at] hsa.gov.sg.