The World Health Organization is warning people to stay away from counterfeit Ozempic, or “fake Zempic,” after the agency recently received reports of medications being counterfeited to resemble the diabetes and off-label weight-loss drug Ozempic in at least three countries, including the United States.
WHO Medical Product Warning A warning about counterfeit medicines was issued on Wednesday and a public announcement was made on Thursday. The warning concerns three counterfeit batches found in three countries. Two batches were found in Brazil and the UK in October last year, while the third batch was found in the US in December last year. All three have reportedly been confirmed as counterfeit by Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic.
In one batch, the products had falsified batch numbers, in another the batch number and serial number combination did not match official records, and in a third the batch number was correct but the actual product was counterfeit.
“WHO advises health workers, regulators and the public to be vigilant against counterfeit medicines,” said Yukiko Nakatani, WHO’s assistant director-general for access to medicines and health products. statement “We call on those involved to discontinue use of the suspect medicines and report them to the relevant authorities,” the agency said.
The active ingredient in Ozempic is semaglutide, which is a type of drug called an incretin. Incretins interact with or mimic hormones that regulate things like hunger and blood sugar levels, and semaglutide is a mimetic of GLP-1. In clinical trials, semaglutide and other new incretins Proven It has been shown to be much more effective in treating obesity than diet and exercise alone. Ozempic is only approved for type 2 diabetes, but a higher-dose version of semaglutide was approved for the treatment of obesity in 2021 under the name Wegovy. Following the approval of Wegovy, Ozempic can now be prescribed off-label for weight loss.
Unfortunately, demand for these drugs often overwhelms supply, and these shortages combine with high list prices (over $1,000 per month) and limited insurance coverage. Grey market and black market For medicine.
Some people get their GLP-1 from compounding pharmacies, which are commonly used to create custom-made medications for patients with special needs, such as medicines that don’t contain certain allergens. While these pharmacies serve a legitimate purpose and are supposed to source the active ingredient from regulated facilities, many places selling compounded semaglutide are illegal. according to Regulators are also starting to come across counterfeit Ozempic that are made to look just like the real thing. In at least some cases, the products contain insulin, which users can then use to get the medicine. hospitalization Overdose can cause hypoglycemia and seizures.
These compounded and counterfeit drugs tend to be much cheaper than the genuine ones, at least when not covered by insurance, but taking them is risky because they are poorly regulated and overseen. The WHO advises people who need these medicines to get them from a licensed doctor and not buy them from unfamiliar sources, especially online pharmacies.
“The use of counterfeit Ozempic may result in ineffective treatment for patients due to incorrect dosages, contamination with harmful substances or the use of unknown or substituted ingredients. It may also pose other serious risks to health, as administration by subcutaneous injection can be life-threatening,” WHO said in its warning.
