Medical Product Alert N°2/2024: Falsified OZEMPIC (semaglutide) Falsified OZEMPIC (semaglutide) identified in the WHO Regions of Americas and Europe

https://www.who.int/news/item/19-06-2024-medical-product-alert-n-2-2024--falsified-ozempic-(semaglutide)?utm_campaign=KFF-Misinformation-Trust&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_eGEUGI6GTQNblz5EizLQep6wScquJwKliVWqwnrzm53EevE165v52sk7JSnqUKmtdIHIS-RwywxH1Fm7aG9jgbrEHEA&_hsmi=315217036&utm_content=315217036&utm_source=hs_email WHO Issues Warning on Rise of Counterfeit Semaglutides Like Ozempic Fake weight-loss drugs are on the rise, potentially eroding trust in legitimate healthcare providers and pharmaceutical supply chains. In June, The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning about a rise in counterfeit versions of Ozempic and other semaglutides, a class of GLP-1 drugs intended for diabetes management and weight-loss. The FDA had warned about counterfeits in the U.S. last year, but this is the WHO's first formal warning. The new warning resurfaces a false claim that Ozempic contains lizard venom. This claim comes from a misunderstanding of Ozempic’s origins. In the 1990s, researchers studied a hormone in the venom of the Gila monster that helps the lizard regulate its blood sugar during hibernation. These researchers then created a synthetic version of the hormone, ushering in a new class of diabetes drugs, including Ozempic. The Gila monster’s venom is not present in those drugs. One conspiracy news article promoting the false lizard venom claims was originally published on June 9 and later republished on another conspiracy news website on June 23. The author wrote, “...by labeling reptile venom peptides as ‘FDA-approved medications,’ the western medicine system has quite literally figured out a way to get people to voluntarily maim or kill themselves, even while paying for the privilege of doing so.” Conversation about the WHO’s warning on Ozempic represents only a slight bump in overall online conversations about the medication over the past two months, accounting for 4.5% of Ozempic-related posts between June 19 and June 26. It’s expected that preexisting false claims about the safety and effectiveness of Ozempic may continue to reemerge—however, these false claims won’t necessarily gain traction. https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-ozempic-glp1-drugs-developed-by-gila-monster-2023-3?utm_campaign=KFF-Misinformation-Trust&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-89zld1Ek6GjZM4fM1gdibbf95EdB3X_k5RCy4dffyKI_PWLF6YjNBjE6Bu_zmlNU39rZ6Z7WervPeFaSKrsCBHnajEYg&_hsmi=315217036&utm_content=315217036&utm_source=hs_email