November 8, 2023 – Suspected counterfeiting of a preferred weight reduction drug is linked to the hospitalization of at the very least three people, federal data shows.
A US government Database The company, which compiles cases detailing harmful consequences while taking a drug, suggested the three hospitalizations were related to suspected counterfeit semaglutide drugs, in response to CBS News reported. Semaglutide is the energetic ingredient within the diabetes drug Ozempic and its counterpart Wegovy, that are specifically approved for weight reduction. Both drugs are manufactured by the Danish company Novo Nordisk and have previously been briefly supply.
One of the three hospitalized cases specifically mentioned Ozempic.
The hospitalizations are amongst 42 cases within the database that mention semaglutide counterfeiting, and 28 of those cases are considered serious, CBS News reported, noting that the outcomes listed within the database included death and all reports of Novo Nordisk has been submitted to the FDA.
“It is not clear from the records whether the forgeries were the cause of the complaints or whether they were related to the report,” CBS News reported.
The FDA, Novo Nordisk and corporations that help distribute semaglutide drugs are working to crack down on counterfeiting of the drugs. Last summer, a counterfeit Ozempic pen was sold in a US pharmacy. Hundreds of counterfeit Ozempic pens were confiscated Great Britain in October.
In an email to the news outlet, an FDA spokesperson told CBS that it's investigating reports of suspected counterfeit drugs.
“The FDA will investigate any report of suspected counterfeit drugs to determine the risks to public health and take the appropriate regulatory response. The FDA remains vigilant in protecting the U.S. drug supply from these threats,” FDA spokesman Jeremy Kahn wrote in an email.