FDA warns against using off-brand versions of Ozempic, Wegovy

Off-brand Ozempic, Wegovy warning overview: 

• Who: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers not to use generic versions of the popular weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. 
• Why: The FDA says it is concerned the generic versions of the drugs contain semaglutide that has been compounded or mixed in pharmacies and not approved for use in people. 
• Where: The warning affects consumers nationwide. 
• How to find help: If you suffered negative health effects after taking Ozempic, Wegovy or Rybelsus, you may be eligible to take legal action. See if you qualify.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers not to use off-brand versions of the popular weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy.

Off-brand Ozempic and Wegovy are not guaranteed to contain the same ingredients as their brand-name versions, according to the FDA, which said this could cause them to potentially be neither safe nor effective. 

In a notice posted late last month, the agency says it received reports of patients having problems after using versions of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, that had been either compounded or mixed in pharmacies. 

The agency warned that those versions of semaglutide, which it noted are often sold online, contain a type of semaglutide that has not been approved for use in people but rather is used for laboratory research. 

“Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, and the agency does not verify the safety or effectiveness of compounded drugs,” the FDA says. 

FDA advises consumers to obtain prescription from licensed health care provider

The FDA advises consumers to only use drugs that contain semaglutide if they come with a prescription from a licensed health care provider working in a state-licensed pharmacy or other FDA-registered facility. 

“Purchasing medicine online from unregulated, unlicensed sources can expose patients to potentially unsafe products that have not undergone appropriate evaluation or approval or do not meet quality standards,” the FDA says in the notice. 

As of May, Ozempic and Wegovy are both on the FDA’s list of drug shortages, which allows compounding pharmacies to produce versions of the medications, the AP reports.

In other FDA news, in March, the agency issued a call to action to baby formula companies following a number of illnesses to infants in late 2021 and 2022 caused by a bacterial contamination linked to an Abbott Laboratory production facility in Sturgis, Michigan. 

The agency’s call to action instructed powdered baby formula producers, distributors, exporters, importers and retailers on strategies they can use to prevent future outbreaks. 

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