The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a medical product alert on fake semaglutides – used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity – warning that three batches of false Ozempic were detected in Brazil, the UK, Northern Ireland and the US last year.
The WHO Global Surveillance and Monitoring System (GSMS) has been observing increased reports on falsified semaglutide products in all geographical regions since 2022, but this is the first official notice it has issued.
Last year, the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) also issued a warning and launched a probe after several people were admitted to hospital when they consumed fake semaglutide products.
WHO said the imitation drugs can lead to various health complications resulting from unmanaged blood glucose levels or weight.
Semaglutides are not part of WHO-recommended treatments for diabetes management, because of their high cost, and the agency warned patients to avoid buying medicines from unfamiliar or unverified sources, such as online.
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