WHO issues a warning about counterfeit medicines used to treat diabetes and lose weight

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a medical product warning about counterfeit semaglutide, a type of drug used in some countries to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.

The alarm refers to 3 counterfeit batches of semaglutide (certain brand name Ozempic) drugs discovered in Brazil in October 2023, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in October 2023, and the United States of America in December 2023. The Global Surveillance and Monitoring System (GSMS) is tracking increased reports of counterfeit semaglutide products in all geographic regions from 2022. This is the first official notification issued by WHO after confirming some reports.

“WHO advises healthcare professionals, regulatory authorities and the public to be aware of these falsified drug batches,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO's Assistant Director-General for Essential Medicines and Health Products. “We call on stakeholders to stop any use of suspicious drugs and report to the competent authorities”.

Stock shortages and increased counterfeiting

Semaglutides, including a brand-specific product that is counterfeit, are prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes to lower their blood sugar levels. Semaglutides also reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. Most semaglutide products must be injected under the skin on a weekly basis, but they are also available as tablets taken by mouth daily. These drugs have been shown to suppress appetite while lowering blood sugar levels, which is why they are increasingly being prescribed for weight loss in some countries.

The WHO has observed increased demand for these drugs, as well as reports of counterfeits. These counterfeit products can have harmful effects on human health; if the products do not have the necessary raw materials, counterfeit drugs can lead to health complications resulting from uncontrolled blood glucose levels or weight. In other cases, another undeclared active ingredient may be contained in the injection device, eg insulin, leading to an unpredictable range of health risks or complications.

Semaglutides are not part of the WHO-recommended treatment for diabetes because of their current high cost. The cost barrier makes these products unsuitable for a public health approach, which aims to ensure the widest possible access to medicines at the population level and strike a balance between the best established standard of care and what is feasible to a large extent in resource-limited settings. Also, there are more affordable treatments for diabetes, with similar effects to semaglutide on blood sugar and cardiovascular risk.

WHO is currently working on rapid guidelines to advise on the possible use of GLP-1 RAs, including semaglutide, for the treatment of obesity in adults and as part of a more comprehensive model of care. The term GLP-1 RA stands for glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, which include semaglutide, for a class of drugs used to treat diabetes to lower blood sugar and support weight loss.

Individual action

To protect themselves from counterfeit drugs and their harmful effects, patients who use these products can take actions such as buying prescription drugs from authorized doctors and avoid buying drugs from unknown or unverified sources, such as those found on the Internet.

People should always check the packaging and expiry date of medicines when buying them and use the products as prescribed. In the case of injectable semaglutide, patients should ensure that it is stored in a refrigerator. All notifications about falsified medicines can be sent via WHO [email protected].