By Priya Raman

Eli Lilly has opened a London High Court case naming six broadband and telecom groups to block UK consumers’ access to black-market websites selling counterfeit versions of its medicines. The US pharmaceutical company and maker of Mounjaro is using the English court system to target the infrastructure behind illicit online sales, rather than only individual sellers.

Lilly instructed American legal firm Kirkland & Ellis to file the case, which appeared in the High Court’s public system on Thursday. The company holds trademarks registered with the UK Intellectual Property Office to protect its brands, pharmaceutical products and related services.

The case names six defendants:

• BT
• EE
• Plusnet
• Sky
• TalkTalk
• Virgin Media

A Lilly spokesperson told City AM: “Lilly is taking action to block black-market websites selling fake versions of Lilly’s medicines.”

The spokesperson added: “What is being sold on these websites is not a medicine – it is entirely unverified, unauthorised, and not worth the risk.” Regulators and law enforcement worldwide have warned about potentially serious risks from fake medicines, the spokesperson said, while Lilly said it would continue working to protect patients and shut down the illegal market.

What is Lilly trying to block?

Lilly wants the court to require internet service providers (ISPs) to prevent UK users from reaching offshore websites that sell counterfeit medicines. The legal route focuses on access: a High Court order can require major networks to block those sites for consumers in the UK.

How does the High Court mechanism work?

Under English law, a company seeking to shut down offshore websites selling counterfeit products must apply to the High Court for an order requiring ISPs to block UK consumers from accessing them. That makes the defendants’ role central: they control the route by which consumers can reach the sites. Blocking access is the leverage.

Has the court used this medicine-blocking route before?

Yes. In May, the High Court granted the first-ever medicine blocking order against ISPs, requiring major British providers including BT, Virgin Media and Sky to block websites selling counterfeit and unlicensed versions of Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide and other prescription-only medicines. Lilly’s case follows that ruling.

The precedent matters because it confirms that the court can compel network-level action against illicit medicine sites, not merely adjudicate trademark disputes between brand owners and sellers. Lilly now seeks to use that route against sites offering fake versions of its own products.

What is driving the surge in counterfeit jabs?

Demand has created scale. BMC Medicine research estimated that 1.6 million adults in England, Wales and Scotland used drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro to help lose weight. High demand, limited NHS supply and tougher checks have combined to drive a major surge in counterfeit weight-loss injections across the UK.

The estimated 1.6 million users underline the public-health stakes of that surge, with patients, regulators and law enforcement all confronting the risk of unverified medicines. The figure also makes enforcement a mass-market issue, rather than a problem confined to a few suspicious websites.

What has the MHRA specifically warned about?

Earlier this year, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued specific warnings about falsified 15mg Mounjaro KwikPens distributed through unauthorised channels. The warnings identify a particular presentation of the medicine and the distribution route under concern, giving regulators and consumers a concrete focus.

That product-specific warning matters because counterfeit jabs can circulate through channels that sit outside regulated pharmaceutical distribution. For buyers, the central risk is that a product presented as medicine may remain entirely unverified.

What is Lilly doing beyond litigation?

In Ireland, where Lilly has a manufacturing presence, the company has launched a public-awareness campaign urging people to use medicines only from regulated sources and pharmacies. The campaign comes as the surge in counterfeit weight-loss drugs continues.

The two measures address different points in the chain: court action targets website access, while the Irish campaign targets where consumers obtain medicines. Lilly is combining enforcement through the High Court with a consumer-level push away from unauthorised suppliers.

How have the defendants responded?

BT declined to comment. EE, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media were approached for comment; no response from Plusnet was reported. No ruling on Lilly’s application was reported.

A High Court order would oblige the six defendants to block the targeted sites for UK consumers, making the case a direct test of whether the medicine-blocking route first used in May can address another major drugmaker’s enforcement problem.