What We’re Reading: Counterfeit Ozempic

In December 2023, the FDA issued an alert about counterfeit Ozempic (semaglutide). Regulators had seized thousands of units of the fake product. But this was not the first incident of counterfeit semaglutide finding its way into the supply chain. In June 2023, the FDA had warned that some compounded semaglutide products may not contain the same active ingredient and may be the salt formulations.

In a recent story, Vanity Fair investigates how counterfeit semaglutide have found their way into the United States, as well as in Austria, Belgium and the United Kingdom. Fake products can have severe consequences, as the Vanity Fair article points out. In one case in Austria, an Ozempic pen contained insulin instead of semaglutide, and the patient experienced convulsions and hypoglycemia.