A girl holds an Ozempic needle shot pen on this {photograph} taken in Warsaw, Poland on 19 November, 2023.
Jaap Arriens | Nurphoto | Getty Photographs
The U.S. Meals and Drug Administration mentioned it has seized “thousands of units” of counterfeit Ozempic, the diabetes drug broadly used for weight reduction, that had been distributed by means of reliable drug provide sources.
The FDA and the drug’s maker, Novo Nordisk, are testing the pictures. They don’t but have details about the medication’ identification, high quality or security, in keeping with an announcement. 5 sicknesses have been linked to the faux pictures, however none have been severe, the FDA mentioned Thursday.
Among the faux 1 milligram semaglutide pictures should still be on the market, FDA mentioned. Along with the drug itself, the needles, pen labels, carton and accompanying health-care data are additionally counterfeit, the company mentioned.
It mentioned the counterfeits had been labeled with the lot quantity NAR0074 and serial quantity 430834149057.
FDA suggested retail pharmacies to purchase genuine Ozempic solely by means of approved distributors and for sufferers to get it solely by means of state-licensed pharmacies.
Shoppers can report suspect Ozempic packages by calling 800-332-1088 or by contacting a state complaint coordinator.