The U.S. Meals and Drug Administration is warning shoppers to not use variations of the favored weight-loss drug utilized in Ozempic and Wegovy and bought on-line as a result of they may not comprise the identical components as prescription merchandise and might not be secure o…
ByJONEL ALECCIA AP Well being Author
FILE – This Tuesday, April 3, 2018 file picture exhibits a closeup of a beam scale in New York. The Meals and Drug Administration is warning shoppers, Thursday, June 1, 2023, to not use off-brand variations of the favored weight-loss medication Ozempic and Wegovy bought on-line as a result of they may not comprise the identical components because the prescription merchandise and might not be secure or efficient. (AP Picture/Patrick Sison, File)
The Related Press
The U.S. Meals and Drug Administration is warning shoppers to not use off-brand variations of the favored weight-loss medication Ozempic and Wegovy as a result of they may not comprise the identical components because the prescription merchandise and might not be secure or efficient.
Company officers stated this week that they’ve acquired experiences of issues after sufferers used variations of semaglutide, the energetic ingredient within the brand-name drugs, which have been compounded, or blended in pharmacies. Officers did not say what the issues had been.
The difficulty is that these variations, usually bought on-line, comprise a model of semaglutide that’s utilized in lab analysis and has not been authorised to be used in individuals.
“Compounded medication will not be FDA-approved, and the company doesn’t confirm the protection or effectiveness of compounded medication,” the discover stated.
Gross sales of semaglutide merchandise have soared prior to now few years after the drug was proven to spur quick and vital weight reduction. The medication manufactured by Novo Nordisk embrace manufacturers Ozempic and Rybelsus, used to deal with diabetes, and Wegovy, authorised to deal with weight problems.
Demand for the drugs has outstripped provide. As of Could, Ozempic and Wegovy stay on the FDA’s listing of drug shortages. When medication are in brief provide, compounding pharmacies are permitted to supply variations of these drugs.
Customers ought to solely use medication containing semaglutide with a prescription from a licensed well being care supplier and obtained from a state-licensed pharmacy or different amenities registered with the FDA, the company stated.
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The Related Press Well being and Science Division receives assist from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Academic Media Group. The AP is solely answerable for all content material.
