Several people have had to be hospitalized in Austria after allegedly using counterfeit diabetes medicine Ozempicwhich is used to lose weight, according to the Federal Office for Health Security (BASG).
The patients suffered hypoglycemia and seizures, serious side effects that indicate that the product contained insulin instead of the active ingredient in Ozempic, semaglutidethe BASG said in a warning issued on Monday.
The company that produces the medicine, Novo Nordiskhas warned of an increase in counterfeits of Ozempic, as well as its weight loss drug Wegswhich are sold online.
Although only Wegovy is approved for obesity, the fact that Ozempic also causes dramatic weight loss has led people in USA y Europa to use the medication “off label,” that is, not for its approved use.
This has led to a shortage of Ozempic, which has been exploited by criminal organizations, said the BASG, which has not revealed the exact number of patients affected or the severity of their condition.