Regulator warns of surge in falsified anti-obesity medicines such as Ozempic and Wegovy sold online

An eight-fold increase in seizures of weight control products sold illegally online has sparked a health warning from the State’s medicines regulator.

The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) said on Wednesday that there are serious risks associated with sourcing prescription medicines online.

So far this year, 254 units of falsified semaglutide products have been detained, compared to 32 units during the whole of 2022.

Semaglutide is the active ingredient in products such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, which are in huge demand worldwide as anti-obesity drugs. Ozempic is available in Ireland to treat diabetes while Wegovy has yet to be made available here.

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Products detained include vials of white powder or clear liquid labelled as containing semaglutide and boxed pens being presented as a generic version of the product. The HPRA said it is concerned that these falsified products are being sold online by “unscrupulous parties”.

“Despite how they may be promoted or presented, it is not safe to purchase prescription medicines online and doing so puts your health at risk,” Gráinne Power, director of compliance with the HPRA, said.

“The semaglutide products that we have detained are all falsified medicines. We have no information on where they were sourced or where, and under what conditions, they were manufactured. There is actually no authorised version of semaglutide in powder form and any product of this nature promoted online is fake or falsified.

“Likewise, there are no generic forms of semaglutide and any product of this nature promoted online is again fake or falsified. There is no way to know what these products actually contain or the strength of any dose provided. They could represent a serious risk to your health.”

Ms Power said it is always best to seek advice from a healthcare professional about any concerns or symptoms you may have.

[ Regulator warned GPs over Ozempic advertising breaches ]

“We strongly urge consumers to source their prescription medicines through the standard practice of accessing a prescription from your doctor, which is dispensed through your local pharmacy,” she said.

“Moving outside of this legal supply route presents a real risk to your health. Anyone using semaglutide products that have been purchased online should stop using them immediately and contact a medical professional if they have concerns regarding their health.”