WEDNESDAY, Nov. 8, 2023 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received at least three reports of people being hospitalized after taking counterfeit versions of semaglutide.
At least one of these reports includes mention of a counterfeit version of the Novo Nordisk medication Ozempic, CBS News reported. Ozempic and Wegovy, another semaglutide medication made by Novo Nordisk, have been tough to find for months as millions of Americans turn to them for weight loss.
In total, 42 reports that mention the use of counterfeit semaglutide were submitted to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System through the end of September, CBS News reported. Of those, 28 were classified as “serious,” with outcomes that included deaths. All were submitted to the FDA by Novo Nordisk.
However, the records do not prove the counterfeits directly caused the adverse events. An FDA spokesperson told CBS News that the agency has “no new information to share regarding reports of adverse events” linked to semaglutide counterfeits.
Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk has said that it is working with the FDA to make consumers aware of the counterfeits and how they differ from the company’s products.
“In close collaboration with FDA, we have taken measures to create awareness of the potential for counterfeit products. We have developed a company statement that… includes a guide for identifying counterfeits,” a Novo Nordisk spokesperson told CBS News.
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