WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Fake versions of Ozempic, the injectable diabetes drug many use for weight loss, are springing up around the world.
“We have reports coming in from 14 countries,” WHO team lead for incidents of substandard and falsified medical products Rutendo Kuwana said.
The World Health Organization confirms counterfeit semaglutide, the active ingredient in the drug, was found in the U.S., the U.K. and Brazil late last year.
The group is currently investigating reports in 11 other countries.
Kuwana wants people to know these fakes could have anything in them.
“In one instance, the semaglutide was replaced with insulin. That’s a very, very dangerous situation,” Kuwana said.
He says if the color of the drug, the spelling on the label and especially the source is questionable, “One must be suspicious that the product is potentially falsified.”
A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic, said the company is …