After counterfeits of the diabetes drug “Ozempic” appeared in several EU countries, it is now clear that the preparations have also reached Austria. A patient is in the hospital after taking the drug.
A patient in Austria needs to be treated in a hospital after taking a counterfeit diabetes drug (“Ozempic”). The Federal Office for Safety in Healthcare (BASG) provided information about this on Thursday. In addition, counterfeits of the diabetes pen are said to have already reached patients in Austria. The BASG also believes there are other counterfeits that are difficult or impossible to detect, it warned.
In this case, the counterfeit product with a different active substance was probably ordered online. There is no evidence that the counterfeit products were dispensed to patients by legitimate pharmacies. The BASG warns patients “strongly and urgently against any unauthorized order of ‘Ozempic’ on the internet”.
199 packs
The first counterfeits appeared in Germany at the beginning of October. EU authorities, the police and a federal authority in Germany are already investigating. The focus of the investigation is a pharmaceutical wholesaler in the southwest of Baden-Württemberg. According to an advertisement from the Freiburg Regional Council, 199 packages originally came from an Austrian wholesaler and were delivered to another pharmaceutical dealer in Britain in early September 2023. According to the domestic federal investigation, investigations are also underway in Austria.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has now also warned about counterfeits of the diabetes medicine “Ozempic”. Counterfeit diabetes pens have turned up in several EU countries and Great Britain, the EMA announced in Amsterdam on Wednesday.
According to the EU authority, the latest reports of counterfeiting of the drug are related to increased demand for the drug. The active ingredient semaglutide in “Ozempic” can also be used as an anti-obesity drug. The manufacturer Novo Nordisk had also announced that there had been a significant increase in illegal online sales. In the photos, the injection button at the end of the injection device is gray on the original and blue on the fake. Counterfeit medicines can be dangerous to your health. Due to the untested quality of the counterfeit medicine, possible contamination and unknown ingredients, these counterfeit products can also be life-threatening, the BASG warned.
Source: Krone
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