Fake Ozempic pens found at wholesalers, regulators warn
- High demand for Ozempic is causing a rise in counterfeits in the US, Europe
- EU officials: No reports of harmed patients due to the fake Ozempic pens
- The FDA is investigating a string of fake Ozempic trafficking schemes
This photograph taken on February 23, 2023, in Paris, shows the anti-diabetic medication Ozempic (semaglutide) made by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. (Joel Saget/AFP via Getty Images)
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(NewsNation) — Counterfeit versions of the popular diabetes drug Ozempic have been found at wholesalers in the European Union and United Kingdom, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) warned.
The pre-filled pens falsely labeled as Novo Nordisk’s (NOVOb.CO) Ozempic come as surging demand for the drug, frequently used for weight loss, has prompted a global rise in counterfeits, Reuters reported.
“There is no evidence that any falsified pens have been dispensed to patients from legal pharmacies and there are no reports of harm to patients in relation to the falsified medicine,” the EMA said in a statement.
In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration is investigating a string of schemes that appear to be trafficking fake Ozempic by passing fraudsters off as medical wholesalers who target unsuspecting pharmacies.
Novo’s diabetes drug contains the active ingredient semaglutide, which is also used in the company’s weight loss drug Wegovy. While only Wegovy has been approved as a weight-loss solution, people in the U.S. and Europe are using both to shed weight.
“All affected pens have been recalled and accounted for, and none of the pens have been supplied to UK patients,” said EMA’s UK counterpart, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
