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13h ago

FDA Steps Up Enforcement Against ‘Gas Station Heroin’ Supplements

FDA placed unregulated tianeptine products on import alert following its warning about opioid-like health risks.

This photo provided by the FDA in January 2024 shows bottles of Neptunes Fix Elixir, a product labeled to contain tianeptine.
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This photo provided by the FDA in January 2024 shows capsules of Purple Magic, a product labeled to contain tianeptine. 
This photo provided by the FDA in January 2024 shows a bottle of TD Red Extra Strength, a product labeled to contain tianeptine.

Overview

  • Tianeptine is being sold illegally as energy shots and cognitive supplements at gas stations and convenience stores under brand names such as Zaza, Tianaa, Pegasus and TD Red.
  • Although approved as an antidepressant in some countries, tianeptine has never received FDA clearance and is unregulated in the United States.
  • Experts warn that tianeptine binds to opioid receptors, triggering seizures, rapid heartbeat and dangerously depressed breathing.
  • The FDA has issued warning letters to distributors, alerted consumers to severe side effects and moved to detain tianeptine shipments at U.S. borders.
  • Calls to poison control centers for tianeptine exposure rose by 525 percent between 2018 and 2023, while state bans in Alabama correlated with a drop in related emergency calls.