REUTERS/George Frey Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Several people were hospitalised in Austria after using suspected fake versions of the diabetes drug Ozempic, the country's health safety body said, the first report of harm to users in a widening European hunt for counterfeiters.
Regional regulator, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), last week warned about pre-filled injection pens falsely labelled as Ozempic, which has seen surging demand for its weight-loss benefits.
The maker of the drug, Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO), has flagged a surge in online offers of fake versions of Ozempic as well as its weight-loss drug Wegovy, both based on semaglutide.
The BASG did not provide an exact number of people harmed by the fake Ozempic, or say how long-lasting the adverse effects would be on their health.
That person likely did not procure the fakes from an official pharmacy, it said, warning that fake injection pens may still be in circulation.
Persons:
George Frey, Ozempic, BASG, Wegovy, Miranda Murray, Ludwig Burger, Alexandra Schwarz, Angus MacSwan, Bernadette Baum
Organizations:
Novo Nordisk, Pharmacy, REUTERS, Rights, European Medicines Agency, EMA, Thomson
Locations:
Provo , Utah, U.S, Austria, Danish, Germany, Britain, British, Berlin, Frankfurt, Vienna