A severe warning was given by the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as Eli Lilly and Co., a leading pharmaceutical company, on the availability of counterfeit forms of well-known drugs that treat both diabetes and obesity. According to the WHO, fake Semaglutide which Novo Nordisk utilizes in Wegovy and Ozempic has been spreading across the globe since the year 2022 as noted through an array of reports across various regions.
What are semaglutides?
Semaglutide is an anti-obesity and ant diabetic drug used to treat type 2 diabetes and long-term weight management, respectively. It is a peptide with a side chain modification that resembles the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1. It can be taken orally or administered by subcutaneous injection.
In an open letter, Eli Lilly expressed its serious concerns about the rise in social media promotions and online sales of fake or diluted tirzepatide, the main component of its products Zepbound and Mounjaro. It was emphasized by the Indianapolis Company that they were the only ones who sold these medications which made them declare that they did not distribute tirzepatide on line retailers, wellness centers or compounding pharmacies.
They also issued a warning, stating that any online advertisements or sales of its medications claiming to be tirzepatide but not bearing the Mounjaro or Zepbound brands are not authorized by Eli Lilly and have not been given FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) approval. This announcement is consistent with earlier alerts Novo Nordisk has made concerning fake versions of its drugs.
A warning has been given in the pharmaceutical industry that is raising concerns that it’s becoming increasingly dangerous to use counterfeit drugs. Thus, advising our patients to always be aware of their drug source and buy it only from reputable and licensed dealers if they want to protect themselves from health challenges.
How to identify falsified products
- Verify the serial number and lot number: The World Health Organization advises against using, selling, or distributing goods bearing batch numbers found in Annex.
- Examine the label’s quality: If it’s not very good, it might not stick to the pen very well.
- Check the carton for spelling errors: The front of the box may contain misspellings.
