Avon Spa Targeted By CT AG Over Weight Loss Drug Claims: State

AVON, CT — An Avon medical/weight loss spa was ordered by the state recently to refrain from using unapproved weight loss drugs with clients.

In a continuing crackdown on the sale of bootleg GLP-1 weight loss drugs, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong this month sent cease-and-desist letters to weight loss spas in Avon, Brookfield, and Danbury.

Those spas, Tong said, advertised non-FDA-approved compounded GLP-1 weight loss drugs despite a state warning that such practices could violate the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.

Companies receiving the letters include Radiance Medspa in Avon, which is located at 320 W. Main St.

The businesses each advertise and prescribe compounded semaglutide and/or tirzepatide GLP-1 weight loss injections, wrote Tong's office in a release issued Wednesday, Dec. 3.

The letters demand that the businesses immediately cease false and misleading marketing of these products, and further demand that owners who are not licensed healthcare providers divest their interests in the businesses.

“There are currently no generic GLP-1 weight loss injections on the market, and anyone advertising or offering this is not telling the truth and exposing patients to potentially unsafe bootleg drugs. Our ongoing investigation into these knockoffs found three clinics, owned or controlled by laypeople, not licensed healthcare providers, deceptively marketing these compounded injections in Connecticut. We have sent cease-and-desist letters to each of these clinics, and will not hesitate to take further action to protect patients and consumers,” said Tong in a release.

Tong said Radiance MedSpa continued to advertise compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide, even though compounded versions of these medications can no longer be prescribed to the general patient population.

Tong said there is no record of the business owners holding either a physician or a nursing license to provide medical care.

Non-healthcare providers cannot legally own or operate clinics that provide medical care in Connecticut, he added.

Radiance Responds

In response to Tong's order, Radiance Medspa Mark Ginella released the following statement on Wednesday afternoon:

"Radiance Medspa has been providing GLP-1s since 2023 to patients who meet personally with APRN's to determine if there are any contraindications as well as requiring a battery of blood tests before they are accepted into our program.

"In addition, we use Empower Pharmacy, which is a 501 (c) (a) registered provider. Our clients come on-site every week to be injected by medically licensed personnel. We are able to titrate them as needed, so there is no dosage error.

"Bear in mind, we started providing this service when big Pharma couldn't meet supply, and it was perfectly legal to buy this product and provide it with the FDA blessing.

"When Big Pharma finally got caught up, these exact drugs were deemed illegal. We changed from the bulk purchase model to the individual prescription model, still using the rigorous standards we implemented at the beginning.

"THE FDA CURRENTLY ALLOWS GLP-1s TO BE COMPOUNDED ON A PRESCRIPTION BASIS IF PATIENTS REQUIRE ADDITIONAL ACTIVE INGREDIENTS, DOSING REQUIREMENTS, OR HOW IT IS ADMINISTERED.

"That is the model we switched to when the FDA changed direction. We are celebrating 20 years in business and would never put our clients in harm's way. We welcome a discussion with the attorney general's office to present what we believe is an ethical and beneficial treatment. I will close by saying that my staff and I have used these same products personally. "

For more information on Tong's crackdown, click on this link.