CNN —Britain’s health agency is warning the public not to buy pre-filled pens claiming to contain the weight loss drugs Ozempic and Saxenda without a prescription, after a small number of people were hospitalized.
Ozempic is used to treat adults with type 2 diabetes, and is used off-label for weight loss.
More than 350 potentially fake Ozempic pens have been seized since January of this year, according to the MHRA.
The agency has also received reports that patients have obtained fake Saxenda pens in the UK through “through non-legitimate routes.”No fake weight-loss pens were seized before January 2023, the agency says.
The maker of both drugs, Novo Nordisk, told CNN Thursday that it is aware that counterfeit pens are being circulated.
Persons:
Ozempic, ” Allison Schneider, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Alison Cave, ” Ozempic, “, Meg Tirrell
Organizations:
CNN, Medicines, Healthcare, Agency, Novo Nordisk, “, “ Novo Nordisk, General Pharmaceutical Council, Get CNN, CNN Health, European Medicines Agency, European Union
Locations:
Ozempic, “ Novo, Novo, Germany, Europe