The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning as fake Ozempic have started circulating amid a recent trend seeing people using the diabetes medicine to lose weight.
The weekly injection, dubbed 'skinny jab', is primarily a medication for people living with diabetes. Its active ingredient, known as semaglutide, helps people with type 2 diabetes control the amount of sugar in their blood. It also signals to our brains that we're full, reducing the urge to eat and leading to weight loss.
As Ozempic has become a popular, if unofficial, weight loss treatment, this has created a shortage of the medication for people with diabetes, creating a market for counterfeit versions of the drug.
The FDA has warned that some 'fake' Ozempic has started being distributed outside the Novo Nordisk authorised supply chain. The medications were seized in April this year, with the FDA urging patients and pharmacists to check the products for an incriminated serial number.
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"The FDA is aware of six adverse event reports associated with this lot, however none of them appear to be associated with the counterfeit product. All six adverse events were reported by Novo Nordisk," a statement from the FDA read.
Last year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) put out a similar warning against fake versions of the injection medicine after counterfeit batches were seized in countries including the UK and Brazil.
“[We advise] healthcare professionals, regulatory authorities and the public be aware of these falsified batches of medicines,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO assistant director general for essential medicines and health products (via BBC News).
According to the WHO, some fake injections may not contain semaglutide at all and could actually be a different medication altogether, such as insulin, leading to 'unpredictable' effects.
"These falsified products could have harmful effects to people’s health," the WHO said.
As reports of counterfeit Ozempic continues, Novo Nordisk told UNILAD they're taking the issue 'very seriously'.
"At Novo Nordisk, patient safety is our top priority, and we take the growing number of incidents involving counterfeit versions of Ozempic® (semaglutide injection) very seriously. We do all we can to alert patients, healthcare professionals, wholesalers, and retail pharmacies about counterfeits incidents when they arise," a spokesperson for the pharmaceutical company said.
"We urge patients to only obtain appropriate medicine on prescription through legitimate sources and after consultation with a healthcare professional. If a patient suspects they have administered a counterfeit product, they should seek medical advice straight away."
Stefania Sarrubba