Counterfeit Ozempic: FDA sounds the alarm, warns consumers about fake weight loss drugs
NORTH CAROLINA -- A warning to consumers about fake Ozempic (semaglutide). The FDA issued this alert saying counterfeits have been found in the US drug supply chain.
The FDA and the manufacturer of Ozempic, Novo Nordisk are urging patients, doctors and pharmacies to check their Ozempic prescriptions to make sure they are legitimate. Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer, says they are aware of several hundred units of Ozempic injection 1 mg being distributed outside of their supply chain.
The manufacturer says you can spot the counterfeit products by looking at the label. For the fakes, the label combines a real lot number of PAR0362 and an illegitimate serial number beginning with the first eight digits 51746517. The lot number is an authentic lot number, and only when both the lot number is coupled with the eight digits, the FDA says it is counterfeit and should not be used.
The FDA and the manufacturer say they're testing the fake products to identify whether they're safe. Neither Novo Nordisk nor FDA can confirm the contents or quality of the counterfeit product, which may present a safety risk for patients who use the counterfeit product.
This is not the first time we have warned you about counterfeit GLP-1 drugs. Besides the FDA, the FBI also issued this warning about fake compounding weight loss drugs on the market.
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To protect yourself, the FDA is urging pharmacies and patients to check their 1 milligram of Ozempic supply to make sure they do not have the counterfeit product and compare the lot and serial numbers with what the FDA is saying are fakes. If you do have a counterfeit product, Novo Nordisk and the FDA want to hear from you. The manufacture advices retail pharmacies to purchase authentic Ozempic (semaglutide) injection 1 mg and other semaglutide-containing medicines through authorized distributors of Novo Nordisk.
The North Carolina Attorney General also issued a warning about fake weight loss drugs, and to date, they say there have been no reports of the fake drugs reported to their office.
SEE ALSO | Testing online weight loss medications for potency; Here's what we found
