European and French health authorities have alerted pharmacists to the circulation of injector pens falsely labeled as Ozempic, a diabetes treatment misused for weight loss purposes, very popular on social networks.
“As a precaution, we call on all actors in the supply chain to be vigilant,” wrote the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) on Monday in an information note intended for community and hospital pharmacists.
“At this stage, no alert has been reported in France”, but it is “important to check the traceability of the serial number” during dispensing, underlines the ANSM.
According to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), “pre-filled pens falsely labeled as Ozempic (semaglutide, 1mg, solution for injection), a medicine indicated in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, have been identified at certain wholesalers of the European Union and the United Kingdom.
These fraudulent pens, bearing labeling from Germany, were identified at distributors in Germany, Austria and the United Kingdom, according to the EMA which explains that there are “differences in appearance between the falsified pen and the authentic pen”.
The batches of falsified Ozempic showed inactive serial numbers on the scanner, which triggered the alert.
The situation is currently being investigated by EU medicines regulators and the police, the EMA points out.
For the moment, “there is no indication that falsified pens have been issued to patients by pharmacies”, according to her.
The injectable antidiabetic drug Ozempic is very popular on the networks for its weight-loss properties, even though it is not indicated for medical purposes.