Lemon Bottle in the Philippines: what regulators found

What is Lemon Bottle?

Lemon Bottle is a branded "fat dissolving" solution, promoted online and on social media as an injectable lipolysis product. It is not a peptide. Swissmedic says it is not authorised in Switzerland, and the UK GPhC calls it unlicensed.

Its declared ingredients come from the package. According to the package and the internet, Swissmedic reports, the preparation "allegedly contains primarily bromelain, lecithin and riboflavin, in addition to a number of natural ingredients".

No regulator or peer-reviewed source was found that describes how Lemon Bottle would reduce fat.

What did Swissmedic's laboratory find?

The Swiss medicines regulator tested the product and found it did not match its label. Swissmedic published its warning on 26 March 2024.

Its official laboratory analysed samples from various sources and "found that the ingredients do not match the declaration and even vary greatly from one pack to another."

This was a quality test of what was in the packs. It was not a study of whether the product works.

What else does Swissmedic say?

Swissmedic treats injectable Lemon Bottle as an unauthorised medicine and warns people not to use it.

• Evidence and risk: "No medicinal effect has been scientifically proven, the quality of the ingredients has not been tested and using the product may therefore pose a health risk."
• Classification: after a decision by a cross-agency expert panel, Swissmedic classes Lemon Bottle lipolysis solution as a medicinal product, based on its composition and because it is injected.
• Not a cosmetic: products for injection "must not be marketed as cosmetics", however deeply they are injected into the skin.
• Not allowed: as it is not authorised in Switzerland, it "may not be sold, dispensed or used" there.
• Advice: Swissmedic "expressly warns against using" it. Anyone who has it at home should not use it and should dispose of it properly.

The Swiss Federal Council's media release of the same warning adds: "The competent authorities may seize illegal medicinal products and institute further measures."

What the distributor says, as reported by Swissmedic

In an addendum dated 25 June 2024, Swissmedic reports the distributor's response. The distributor, based in Seoul, Korea, "emphasises that the original Lemon Bottle Ampoule solution is exclusively for external use as a cosmetic and not intended for lipolysis or injection." It also says it "was unable to verify that the product samples that Swissmedic received are original products".

Swissmedic replies that products labelled "Lemon Bottle" that are intended for injection "are still considered to be a medicinal product".

What has the UK pharmacy regulator said?

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), which regulates pharmacies in the UK, has raised concerns about Lemon Bottle.

In a news item published on 9 April 2025, the GPhC said it "has received concerns about pharmacies supplying non-medicinal, unregulated, unlicensed products, including a substance called 'Lemon Bottle' which has been advertised on social media, and claims to dissolve fat".

In an email to pharmacy professionals, its Chief Pharmacy Officer wrote:

• The concerns involve these products "being supplied by community pharmacies, or being administered by pharmacists via injection in other settings."
• "We have received concerns suggesting these products have potentially caused serious harm."
• Products not licensed by the MHRA as medicines or medical devices "are not required to meet good manufacturing practice, including safety, quality and efficacy standards."
• "There are concerns that such products do not disclose the full ingredients or sufficient information about their contents, and there is limited or no clinical safety data available."

No MHRA statement on Lemon Bottle itself was found.

Is there any evidence that Lemon Bottle works?

No published study of Lemon Bottle was found. Searches run on 7 October 2026 came back empty:

There is no human trial, no animal study and no case report about the product in these databases.

What is Lemon Bottle's status in the Philippines?

FDA Philippines records show no drug registration for Lemon Bottle. A search of the FDA verification portal on 7 October 2026 found:

Its intended use is "face and body contouring plus moisturizing". The notified intended use does not mention injection. A cosmetic notification is not a drug registration.

No FDA Philippines advisory naming Lemon Bottle was found in searches of the FDA website on 7 October 2026. Because no FDA Philippines statement on the product was found, this page does not call it registered or unregistered.

Related Philippine actions that do not name Lemon Bottle

• Advisory No.2026-1281 (16 September 2026): FDA Philippines warned against an unregistered ampoule solution for face and body labelled "Lecithin + Bromelain + Vitamin". This is a different product. Two of its labelled ingredients are the same as two of Lemon Bottle's declared ingredients. FDA verified it has no Certificate of Product Registration, so "the public has no assurance as to its quality, safety and efficacy".
• NBI operation (22 May 2026): in Pasig City, with FDA support, authorities reportedly apprehended a medical practitioner giving unregistered injectables, including fat-dissolving products. FDA did not name the products.

Is Lemon Bottle the same as Kybella?

No. They are different products with different ingredients.

The US FDA says Kybella (deoxycholic acid) is the only fat-dissolving injectable drug it has approved, and only for fat under the chin in adults. Its consumer warning on unapproved fat-dissolving injections names several brands. Lemon Bottle is not among them.

How to check and report a product

FDA Philippines tells the public to check products on its verification portal, verification.fda.gov.ph, or its list of verified unregistered health products.