WHO “advises health professionals, health authorities and the general public to be alert to falsified batches of semaglutides.”
- According to WHO, the number of reports of counterfeit semaglutide products has increased worldwide since 2022.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an alert after fake batches of Ozempic were detected in several countries.
- These fake drugs can have serious health consequences: hypoglycemia, comas, epileptic seizures, etc.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an alert after fake batches of Ozempic were detected in several countries.
Ozempic: three falsified batches of semaglutide class products
“The alert concerns three falsified batches of products of the semaglutide class and the Ozempic brand, which were detected in Brazil in October 2023, in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in October 2023, and in the United States of America in December 2023,” indicates the institution on its website.
“WHO advises health professionals, health authorities and the general public to be alert to these batches of falsified medicines,” “We are very pleased to see the impact of the pandemic on our planet,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General.We call for an end to all use of these suspect drugs and for their circulation to be reported to the competent authorities,” he added.
Counterfeit Ozempic: what are the health risks?
If medicines do not contain the raw components needed for them to work properly or if they include bad additional ingredients, this can have negative health consequences.
Last year, when smuggled Ozempic circulated in the UK and Austria, health authorities in both countries reported that some people using the wrong formula had been hospitalised with hypoglycaemia, comas and seizures.
Also according to the WHO, the number of reports of counterfeit semaglutide products has increased worldwide since 2022, but this is the first time the organization has issued an advisory on the issue.
Ozempic: How do semaglutide products work?
The increase comes amid increased demand for the drugs, which have recently gained popularity as a treatment for obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Semaglutide products mimic a natural hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which helps slow digestion, decrease appetite, and regulate insulin. Most semaglutide products are injected under the skin once a week via a pen, but they are also available as tablets that are taken by mouth daily.
The WHO does not recommend them at this time because of their high cost. In early 2024, the company that makes Ozempic, Novo Nordisk, increased the price of the drug by 3.5% to $970 per month.
For anyone using Ozempic, it is advisable to avoid acquiring it from unknown sources – such as buying it online – and to only obtain it on prescription from a licensed physician.
