Urgent WHO warning for UK users of weight loss injections amid discovery of dangerous counterfeits

Britons hoping to achieve their ‘beach body’ this summer with weight loss injections have been issued a stern health warning by the World Health Organization after counterfeit ‘skinny jabs’ were discovered for sale in Britain. The alarm was first raised on Thursday when it was announced that fake batches of Ozempic, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes and off-label for weight loss, had been identified in Brazil, Britain and the US.

The manufacturers of the drug have stated that several batch numbers were not produced by Novo Nordisk, with the warning referring to the following numbers:

• batch number LP6F832 is not recognized.
• the combination of batch number NAR0074 with serial number 430834149057 does not correspond to real production data.
• batch number MP5E511 is genuine, but the product is counterfeit.

The WHO has also raised concerns about the recent surge in demand for these types of drugs and how it has paved the way for fraudulent products to infiltrate the market. They also highlighted the potential serious health consequences of these fake jabs. Especially as Ozempic is used to treat diabetes, and can lead to uncontrolled blood sugar levels or weight – which can even be life-threatening in extreme cases, reports Gloucestershire Live.

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“These counterfeit products can have harmful effects on people’s health; if the products do not contain the necessary raw materials, counterfeit medicines can lead to health complications due to uncontrolled blood sugar levels or weight,” the WHO explains.

“In other cases, there may be another undeclared active ingredient in the injection device, for example insulin, leading to an unpredictable range of health risks or complications.”

How do I check if I am affected?

The easiest way to determine if you are affected is to check the lot number and serial number: WHO does not recommend distributing, using or selling products bearing the batch numbers listed in the appendix.

Another crucial step is to thoroughly inspect the Ozempic pen, as counterfeit pens may have a scale that protrudes from the pen when setting the dose.

A third important factor to consider is the quality of the label. Does it look good printed? And does it stick well to the pen? It’s also important to look for any spelling errors on the box or the pen itself that could indicate you have a counterfeit.

If you suspect that you are affected by this warning, WHO recommends that you do not take the medicines and report this to the pharmacy that supplied them.

The organization also provided advice on how to avoid becoming victims in the future: “To protect themselves from counterfeit medications and their harmful effects, patients who use these products can take actions such as purchasing prescription medications from licensed doctors and avoiding purchasing medications. medications from unknown or unverified sources, such as those found online.”

“People should always check the packaging and expiration dates of medications when purchasing them, and use the products as directed.”

“In the case of injectable semaglutides, patients should ensure they are kept refrigerated. All reports of counterfeit medicines can be sent to WHO at [email protected].”