The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a counterfeit alert for ‘Ozempic’ (semaglutides), from Novo Nordisk, used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity, in Brazil, the United States and the United Kingdom. The alert refers to three counterfeit batches that have been detected in Brazil in October 2023, in the United Kingdom in October 2023, and in the United States in December 2023.

The WHO Global Surveillance and Monitoring System (GMMS) has been seeing an increase in reports of counterfeit semaglutide products in all geographic regions from 2022. This is the first official advisory issued by WHO after confirmation of some of the reports.

“WHO advises health professionals, regulatory authorities and the general public to be aware of these counterfeit batches of medicines“said Dr. Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Deputy Director-General for Essential Medicines and Health Products. “We call on interested parties to stop using any suspicious medicines and inform the relevant authorities,” she said.

Supply shortages and increase in counterfeiting

Semaglutide, including the specific brand name product that has been counterfeited, is prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes to lower their blood sugar levels. Semaglutide also reduces the risk of cardiovascular events. Most semaglutide products must be injected under the skin weekly, but they are also available as tablets taken by mouth daily. These medications have been shown to suppress appetitein addition to reducing blood sugar levels, which is why, in some countries, they are increasingly prescribed for weight loss.

The WHO has seen an increase in demand, as well as reports of counterfeiting. These counterfeit products could have harmful effects on people’s health.. If the products do not have the necessary components, counterfeit medicines can cause health complications resulting from uncontrolled blood glucose levels or weight.

In other cases, the injection device may contain another undeclared active ingredient, for example insulin, which may lead to an unpredictable range of health risks or complications. Semaglutide is not part of the treatments recommended by the WHO for the control of diabetes due to its current high cost. “The price barrier makes these products unsuitable for a public health approachwhich aims to ensure the widest possible access to medicines at the population level and strike a balance between the best established standard of care and what is feasible on a large scale in resource-limited settings,” the WHO explains.

In addition, there are more affordable treatments available for diabetes, with similar effects to semaglutide on blood glucose and cardiovascular risk. WHO is currently working on developing a rapid advisory guide on the possible use of GLP-1 RAs, including semaglutide, for the treatment of obesity in adults and as part of a more comprehensive care model. The term GLP-1 RA refers to glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists.which includes semaglutide, a class of medications used in the treatment of diabetes to lower blood glucose and promote weight loss.