Britain’s medicines regulator has issued a warning about fake and harmful weight loss pens after seizing hundreds of devices sold by illegal traders, which supposedly contain Ozempic (semaglutide) or Saxenda (liraglutide), but which have resulted in a number of hospital admissions after use.
The serious side effects of the patients have ranged from hypoglycaemic shock to coma, leading to suspicions that the pens contain insulin, reports The Guardian.
The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has urged the public not to buy any pre-filled pens claiming to contain Saxenda or Ozempic, and to consult a healthcare professional qualified to prescribe medicines and obtain a prescription.
Since the beginning of the year, authorities have seized 369 potentially fake Ozempic pens and has had reports of fake Saxenda pens from people who obtained them through non-legitimate routes, like unregulated websites, without a proper prescription.
Semaglutide and liraglutide, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, are used to treat type 2 diabetes and help manage body weight, and are available as injections, often referred to as pens or jabs.
Saxenda is authorised in the UK for use for weight loss, along with diet and exercise, while Ozempic has been authorised for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes, also with diet and exercise. While it is not authorised for weight loss in the UK, Ozempic is commonly used off-label for that purpose.
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