Vials of real Botox. Purple tops contain 100 units. Red tops contain 50 units. Real Botox does not come as 150 units, only the fake stuff.
As alleged by U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon, “Joey Grant Luther, who does not possess the licensing required by New York State to perform injections of Botox, knowingly purchased counterfeit Botox from China, injected it into his clients, and represented that the counterfeit Botox that he was peddling was genuine. Luther continued to purchase and inject the counterfeit Botox even after he learned that clients had fallen ill or experienced strange symptoms after Luther injected them. Luther’s disregard for the health of his clients put all of his victims in harm’s way and, in some cases, caused life-threatening injuries. Luther will now face criminal charges for this conduct.”
Further details of the arrest are available on the DOJ website, and they are diabolical.
Three days after one victim’s visit to JGL Aesthetics, she began experiencing double vision, light headedness, difficulty swallowing and chewing, heart palpitations, and slurring of speech. She could not lift her arms and experienced weakness from the waist up. She went to three hospitals to seek medical assistance for these symptoms. Three weeks later, she was diagnosed with Botulism toxin.
Joey Grant Luther reported back to the Chinese manufacturer that their product was making his patients sick. This did not make him stop using it. Instead, he demanded more product for free, to make up for the loss of reputation.
Always Vet Your Injector
Joey Grant Luther is neither a doctor, nor a certified injector. Since January of 2021 he ran a med spa named JGL Aesthetics in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. He had a website and an Instagram account, but no independent certification. A simple check of the state medical board website could have saved his victims a lot of grief.
Check The Botox Vials Too
Mr. Luther treated his patients with counterfeit drugs. One of his victims stated the box looked legitimate, The boxes said Botox® 150 Units manufactured by Allergan; however, if you have read my blog article on fake Botox, then you know Allegan only supplies bottles with 50 or 100 units, never 150 units. It also had the old Botox logo.
The current Botox boxes look like this:
This is what the authentic Allergan BOTOX Cosmetic box and vial look like. It comes packaged as either 50 or 100 units per vial.
While the counterfeit Boxes look like this:
This is how the 2024 Fake BOTOX was packaged. (Click on photo to see some of the errors.)
Why Real Botox Matters
This issue of fake Botox has come up repeatedly. In 2004, Dr. Bach McComb, a “provider” in Broward County Florida injected himself, his girlfriend and another couple. He did not use Allergan’s botox and diluted it incorrectly, overdosing everyone involved, with the couple spending more than three months in the hospital, unable to breathe on their own, until the botox wore off.
Dr. Bach MaComb, the injector, had previously had his osteopathic license suspended, and a check of the state’s medical board site would have confirmed the fact.
New York, Florida, Nevada and More
In Las Vegas, on Friday, March 27, 2008, U.S. District Judge Kent. J. Dawson sentenced Stephen Lee Seldon and his wife Deborah Martinez Seldon for fraud relating to a fake Botox scheme. Again, Botulinum Toxin A, clearly labelled “For research purposes only, not for human use.” was used on their victims. They were discovered by the FDA during the investigation of Dr. Bach MaComb of Florida, because they ordered “Tritox” from the same Arizona lab. There are many more examples, just search “fake botox” in your favorite search engine.
What To Do Before Botox?
The CDC Website has the following advice:
When considering Botox injections:
- Be certain your provider is licensed and trained to administer injections.
- Check your state’s medical board website for your provider’s qualifications.
- Ask if the botulinum toxin product is approved by the FDA and obtained from a reliable source.
- Ask to see the packaging. A legitimate injector will not be offended.
- When in doubt, don’t get the injection.
What To Do After Botox?
If you have any symptoms of botulism, including:
- Blurry or double vision
- Difficulty swallowing
- Difficulty breathing
Call your healthcare provider or go to the emergency room immediately.
Other symptoms to call for are muscle weakness in areas not meant to be treated which can include drooping eyelids.
How to Report Counterfeit Botox
Report suspected counterfeit botulinum toxin products to FDA at 800-551-3989 or through FDA’s form for reporting suspected criminal activity.
Report harmful reactions related to the use of any medication, including suspected counterfeit medication, to FDA’s MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.
Botox Consultations
If you are looking for an injector in the San Francisco Bay Area for Botox or Fillers call (925) 943-6353. We use only FDA approved botulinum toxins and fillers obtained from reliable sources.
Previous Post