United States – The medical product alert has been released by the World Health Organization Thursday that counterfeit Ozempic and other drugs for diabetes and obesity have been identified in some regions.
Public Safety Concerns
According to the warning, three fake batches of semaglutide, a weight loss drug, were found in Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Northern Ireland in October 2023. The virus was identified in the U.S. in December 2023, as reported by The Hills.
WHO also revealed that it has been tracking the said fake drug since 2022, and Thursday’s announcement was the first official statement after the organization had verified the reports.
“WHO advises healthcare professionals, regulatory authorities and the public [to] be aware of these falsified batches of medicines,” Dr. Yukiko Nakatani, WHO assistant director-general for Access to Medicines and Health Products, said in a statement. “We call on stakeholders to stop any usage of suspicious medicines and report to relevant authorities.”
Health Risks and Advisory
The specific particularity of the counterfeit drug includes it has been used in the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes to bring their blood sugar levels down and for the purposes of weight loss, which is used in some countries as it has appetite-suppressing qualities.
The health organization pointed to a rising trend of demand for medicines and cases of falsification of commodities.
If the product does not contain the required raw elements, as necessity experts pointed out, health implications will arise. Other articles have concluded that an active undeclared ingredient might be inside the injected device, which could also induce issues.
WHO noted that semaglutide is not included in the list of recommended products for diabetes treatment because of its high price, which makes it “unsuitable for a public health model of treatment” and unavailable to a broad audience.
The officials also noted that the organization is developing what it calls “a rapid advice guideline” about the use of the drug in obese patients.
Patients who have to use the drug were advised to remain cautious and only purchase medicines from a qualified medical practitioner and to stay away from new products and unknown pharmacies.
“People should always check packaging and expiry dates of medicines when they buy them and use the products as prescribed,” the release said, as reported by The Hills.
Industry Response and Legal Actions
On Thursday, Eli Lilly and Company, a pharmaceutical company, reported that it has established several legal cases against med-spa, wellness centers, and other entities that are using counterfeit drugs that they say are advertised or seek to imitate the genuine drug that was approved by the FDA.