The European and French health authorities have warned pharmacists about the circulation of injection pens falsely labelled as Ozempic, a diabetes treatment misused for weight-loss purposes and very popular on social networks.
"As a precautionary measure, we are calling on all those involved in the supply chain to be vigilant," wrote the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines on Monday in an information note intended for dispensing and hospital pharmacists.
According to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), "pre-filled pens falsely labelled as Ozempic (semaglutide, 1 mg, injectable solution), a medicine indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, have been identified by certain wholesalers in the European Union and the United Kingdom."
These fraudulent pens, labelled as coming from Germany, have been 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 genuine pen."
The batches of falsified Ozempic showed inactive serial numbers on the scanner, which triggered the alert.
The situation is currently being investigated by the EU medicines regulatory authorities and the police, the EMA points out. For the time being, "there is no indication that falsified pens have been dispensed to patients by pharmacies," it said.
The injectable anti-diabetic Ozempic is very popular on the internet for its slimming properties, although it has no medical indication.
