Swiss medicine regulator warns against purchase of fake Ozempic

Ozempic is approved in Switzerland for people with type-2 diabetes and can be used as "off label" for weight loss. Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Swissmedic has warned against buying drugs from unreliable sources, particularly from abroad, after reports of hospitalisations in connection with falsified injectables of Ozempic. The medicine, which is approved to treat type 2 diabetes, has been touted as a weight-loss drug on social media.

The individuals affected were admitted to hospital with acute hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar levels). In one case, an insulin pen had been packaged as an Ozempic pen. Hypoglycaemia triggered by an insulin overdose is life-threatening and must be treated immediately, wroteExternal link the Swiss drugs regulator.

Ozempic is authorised in Switzerland for type 2 diabetes, which is adult-onset diabetes. The drug, developed by the Danish company Novo Nordisk, can be used for weight loss if prescribed by a doctor for “off-label use”. In such a case, the drug must be used under medical supervision.

The active ingredient in Ozempic, semaglutide, is used at a higher dose in another drug, Wegovy, which Swissmedic has authorised for the treatment of obesity.

Semaglutide lowers blood sugar levels and regulates insulin, which is crucial for people with type 2 diabetes. It also imitates a hormone called GLP-1, which can suppress appetite.

Demand for Ozempic skyrocketed after several celebrities and TikTok influencers touted the drug – which is administered as a self-injectable pen – as a way to lose weight in a short time. Due to high demand, falsifications of these products are increasingly appearing internationally, indicated the regulator.

Swissmedic said it “urgently warns against purchasing and using unathorised medicines offered in printed advertisements, promotional e-mails or via websites.”