UK Medicines Agency (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory AgencyMHRA) has seized 369 counterfeit Ozempic (semaglutide) pens since January 2023 and received reports of counterfeit Saxenda (liraglutide) pens.
On 26 October 2018, the MHRA said it had received reports of a “very small number” of people being hospitalized after using potentially counterfeit slimming pens.
The statement said side effects seen in hospitalized people, including hypoglycemic shock and coma, indicated that the counterfeit pens may have contained insulin rather than semaglutide.
Semaglutide and liraglutide are glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists that have become popular for weight loss. Semaglutide was initially approved in the UK for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, but in March 2023 it was also approved for weight loss.
The UK’s medicines watchdog has warned the public not to buy pre-filled pens containing Ozempic or Saxenda outside of legal pharmacies and has recommended that you always get a prescription from a suitably qualified healthcare professional to buy these medicines.
The MHRA’s chief safety officer, Alison Cave, admits that buying medicines such as Ozempic or Saxenda without a prescription from illegal suppliers greatly increases the risk of receiving a counterfeit or illegally distributed drug, which can pose serious health risks.
On 18 October 2023, the MHRA reported that counterfeit Ozempic pre-filled pens had been detected at two UK wholesalers. The counterfeit pens had German-made labels and came from wholesalers in Austria and Germany. The MHRA notes that there is no evidence that the counterfeit pens were dispensed from a legitimate pharmacy.
Farmacija-mic.lv previously reported that the counterfeit Ozempic was discovered in drug wholesalers and did not reach patients and pharmacies.
The Latvian Medicines State Agency (ZVA) reported on October 20 that the fake Ozempic has not arrived in Latvia.
The appearance of fake pre-filled syringes is visually different from the original pre-filled syringes. To see what real Ozempic pre-filled syringes look like, patients are invited to view the product instructions for usewhich is available on the ZVA website In the drug register. ZVA advises not to use the drug Ozempic if the patient suspects that it may be counterfeit, as this can cause serious health damage. If the patient has a pre-filled syringe that does not have the elements of the original pre-filled syringe, it should be returned to the pharmacy immediately.
Source: The Pharmaceutical JournalPJ, October 2023, Vol 311, No 7978;311(7978), ZVA
2023-10-31 21:08:32
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