The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a global warning about fake versions of popular weight-loss and diabetes medicines, saying these could pose risks to people's health.
The world health body said it had received several reports of fake semaglutide - the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Ozempic - in all geographic regions of the world since 2022.
Also known as "skinny jab", Ozempic is used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
After the fake medicines were found to be in circulation in many countries, the WHO, in its first official notice Thursday, warned that they could pose a danger to health.
WHO said authorities had seized fake batches of the drug in the UK, Northern Ireland, Brazil and the US.
Drug maker Eli Lilly & Co. has also said it is "deeply concerned" about growing online sales and social media posts involving fake or compounded versions of Tirzepatide, the active ingredient behind its drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound.
