At least ten deaths and 100 hospitalisations have been linked to off-brand versions Ozempic and Wegovy in the US, the manufacturer of the weight-loss drugs warned on Wednesday.
Novo Nordisk cited data from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on adverse reactions to compounded versions of semaglutide — the generic name for the drug marketed as Ozempic and Wegovy — since 2023. The reports have not been verified, according to the FDA’s website.
Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, the Danish pharmaceutical company’s chief executive, raised concerns about lacking oversight in the production of the compounded drugs, following statements last month that semaglutide is too complex to be copied by compounding pharmacies. Jorgensen said it was concerning that patients could obtain the copycat drugs online, and from health spas or weight-loss clinics.