Urgent warning afer fake diabetes, weight loss drug scam exposed

Fake versions of a diabetes drug — touted on social media as a miracle weight loss hack — have been exposed in lab tests, prompting an urgent warning.

An online scam selling fake versions of a diabetes medication that went viral as a miracle weight loss drug — sparking huge shortages — has been uncovered, sparking an urgent warning.

Semaglutide, often sold as Ozempic, has been in short supply around Australia and the globe for months, with local authorities moving to limit its prescriptions to diabetics.

But the regulator said on Thursday anyone who ordered the drug from unverified overseas websites should “stop taking it immediately”, after laboratory testing on imported products revealed they did not actually contain any semaglutide.

A Therapeutic Goods Association statement said the fake semaglutide was “illegally imported into Australia”.

It was labelled as “Global Health Pharmaceuticals and Therapeutics branded Semaglutide 5mg vial” and “Peptides Lab branded Semaglutide 10mg vial”.

The TGA warned any products claiming to be Semaglutide that are not manufactured by Novo Nordisk were likely to be false, as no other company has the rights to sell Ozempic.

“The manufacture of semaglutide is complex and requires specialised equipment,” the TGA statement said.

“It is illegal to import prescription-only medicines without a valid prescription, even if only for personal use.

“In Australia, it is illegal to advertise prescription-only medicine to the public. This means that if you see advertising for Ozempic or semaglutide, it is illegal and likely represents a counterfeit product or a scam.”

They said Australians should exercise “extreme caution” when buying medication from unknown international websites, as they may contain “undisclosed and potentially harmful ingredients”.