As Ozempic circulates forged in the US, the Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning to the Americans.
In an April 14 announcement, the FDA stated that Novo Nordisk – Ozepic and Wegovy manufacturer – informed the agency that “several hundred Ozepic (semaglutide) injecting units were in the US drug supply chain.
Ozempic is an approved injectable drug to treat type 2 diabetes.
Wegovy, the same medicine but with a higher dose, is approved to treat overweight.
“Forged products were distributed outside the authorized supply chain Novo Nordisk in the US,” FDA said in its announcement.
“FDA seized counterfeit identified products on April 9, 2025.”
The FDA has advised patients, wholesalers, retail pharmacies and health care professionals to control any Ozepic product in their possession.
Anydo tagged with a lot of par0362 and with a serial number starting with the first eight digits 51746517 should not be used, sold or distributed for the agency.
“The FDA is aware of the six reports of the side events associated with this part. However, none of them appear to be related to the forged product,” the statement said.
“All six adverse events were reported by Novo Nordisk.”
Dave Moore, an executive vice president of US operations and Novo Nordisk Inc. President, made a statement below to the Fox News Digital.
“In Novo Nordisk, patient safety is our main advantage, and we get the growing number of incidents that include counterfeit versions of ozepic very seriously,” he said.
“It is very worrying, and we do everything we can to warn patients, health care professionals, wholesalers and retail pharmacies for forged incidents when they are born.”
The currently seized products are being tested by FDA and Novo Nordisk to determine the identity, quality or safety of medicines.
The FDA investigation is continuing, the agency added.
Dr. Brett Osborn, a neurosurgeon in Florida and the longevity doctor who has prescribed semaglutide drugs for his patients, has previously spoken of the risks of cheaper, counterfeit versions.
“Due to the cost of the Ozepic brand, more and more people are turning into cheaper knock-off versions, often found online or through non-regulated channels,” he told Fox News Digital.
“These knocks are synthesized in non-medical environments without the necessary quality assurance or quality control, making them naturally dangerous.”
These medicines can be harmful when there is no supervision of their source or quality of production, Osborn warned.
“When they are made in unregulated environments, there is no telling what you are deciding on your body.”
Medications like ozepic require “accuracy in production”, according to Osborn.
“You should only use versions of the pharmaceutical scale determined by a licensed doctor,” he said.
“The risk with these variants is very high, and there are no regulations to ensure that they are done properly.”
People should use care when ordering any online medicine, doctors agree.
“If you are not taking medication from a licensed pharmacy with a valid recipe by a doctor, buying ozepic or its internet knackoffs is dangerous,” Osborn warned. “You cannot verify the source, ingredients or safety of the product.”
Osborn reiterated that medications like ozepic should only be prescribed by a licensed physician to write recipes – “not a nurse practitioner through a television visit or a chiropractor”.
“When used properly, these medicines are powerful tools, but they can be dangerous in the wrong hands,” he said.
“Always consult a health care provider with the right training and experience in using these medicines. First of all security.”
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