DUBAI: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday issued warnings regarding falsified semaglutides found in diabetes and weight-loss medications. Three altered batches of these products were detected in Brazil, UK, and United States, prompting the alert.
Semaglutide serves as the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drug Ozempic and the weight-loss treatment Wegovy.
The WHO said that it has been observing increased reports of falsified semaglutide products in these countries since 2022. However, the today’s statement was the first official notice from the agency following confirmed reports.
Furthermore, the WHO has noticed an increased demand for these medicines.
It cautioned that falsified products could pose serious health risks, potentially causing complications due to unregulated blood glucose levels or weight management issues if they lack essential raw components.
