The counterfeit semaglutides – from a specific brand Ozempic – were found in Brazil, the United Kingdom in October 2023 and in the United States in December 2023, and were supplied through a regular supply chain.
The WHOThe official notice follows reports of “counterfeit semaglutide products” in all geographic regions of the Global Surveillance and Monitoring System (GSMS) since 2022.
Dr. Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Deputy Director-General for Essential Medicines and Health Products appealed to all stakeholders Unpleasant “stop any use of suspected medications and report to the relevant authorities.”
Risks
The actual manufacturer of Ozempic confirmed to WHO that the semaglutides were adulterated based on batch and serial numbers.
Semaglutides are said to help people lower their blood sugar levels and appetite and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The WHO says reports of counterfeit products increased as demand for the product increased.
Consuming adulterated or counterfeit products can have harmful and life-threatening effects on the body.
Semaglutides are not recommended by WHO for the treatment of diabetes due to the expensive cost of the product.
Avoid counterfeit products
Dr. Nakatani said the UN health agency advised healthcare professionals, regulators and the public to “be aware of these counterfeit batches of medicines.”
It added that healthcare professionals”must report any incident with adverse consequenceslack of effectiveness and suspected falsification to national regulatory authorities/national pharmacovigilance centre.”
The WHO also advised individuals who may have counterfeit products not to use them and to seek medical attention if they have used them and experienced side effects.
Avoid unknown sources
To avoid such a scenario, the WHO has urged people to buy prescription products from licensed doctors, rather than online or from unknown sources.
The WHO added that people should use the products as directed and should check for lot and serial numbers, examine the product itself and assess the quality of the label to ensure the product used is not adulterated .
