EU and UK regulators warn fake diabetes drug found at wholesalers

EU and UK regulators have warned fake versions of the diabetes drug Ozempic — often used for weight loss — have been discovered at wholesalers.

It follows a surge in the drug’s popularity and a lack of supplies, which has prompted patients to turn to illegal online pharmacies.

The pre-filled injection pens are falsely labelled as the drug sold by the Denmark-based Novo Nordisk and were discovered as fakes because of inactive serial numbers.

The pens came from suppliers in Austria and Germany and appear to be 1mg doses with authentic German packaging, although it is a different shape and shade of blue to the originals.

The European Medicines Agency said the EU medicines regulatory authorities and the police are investigating the matter and warned further cases could not be ruled out.

The German and Austrian authorities are taking action against the wholesalers.

Demand for Ozempic has soared as it became known for helping people significantly cut their body weight, with many patients using it instead of Wegovy, the Novo Nordisk drug with the same active ingredient that is designed to treat obesity.

But shortages have meant some patients have struggled to get hold of supplies.

Dr Alison Cave, chief safety officer of the UK’s Medicines Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, said buying semaglutide, the active substance in Ozempic and Wegovy, from illegally trading online suppliers “significantly increases the risk of getting a product which is either falsified or not licensed for use in the UK”.

The drugs were identified at two UK wholesalers but the MHRA said they have all been recalled and accounted for, with none reaching UK patients, legitimate pharmacies, or healthcare professionals. The EMA also said there was no evidence that pens were dispensed from legal pharmacies.

But Cave called on patients who are worried about the safety or effectiveness of their drug, or suspect it is not a genuine product, to report it to the regulator.

Novo Nordisk said it has seen a “significant increase” in illegal online sales, and it investigates every counterfeit case that it is alerted to.

The drugmaker works with a third party that specialises in monitoring and taking down illegal online offers and companies on the ground that conduct physical investigations to identify the perpetrators.

It said it collaborates with law enforcement and other authorities where relevant.

“Patients can protect themselves from counterfeits by only buying medicines from legitimate sources and with a prescription,” it said.