The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is urging patients and healthcare professionals to check the legitimacy of their Ozempic prescriptions after the agency seized hundreds of fake units of the diabetes drug in the United States, NBC News reports.
The FDA received a warning from Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and the weight loss drug Wegovy, stating that fake 1-milligram injections were being distributed outside of its authorized supply chain, meaning it may have entered the market through unauthorized distributors or resellers.
Counterfeit products—with the lot number labeled PAR0362 and serial numbers starting with the first eight digits 51746517—were seized on April 9.
FAKE OZEMPIC ALERT: FDA SAYS DOUBLE-CHECK YOUR PEN BEFORE YOU INJECT
The FDA just seized hundreds of fake Ozempic pens floating around the U.S.—because apparently, even knockoff meds are a thing now.
They were being sold outside legit channels, with sketchy lot numbers and… https://t.co/FUUmwro5sb pic.twitter.com/BgMUZUNFDV
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) April 14, 2025
Fake versions of the popular weight loss drug are different from compounded versions of the drug.
According to WRAL, the FDA says pharmacies and individuals should only purchase the Ozempic injection 1 mg and other semaglutide-containing medicines through authorized distributors of Novo Nordisk to guarantee patients are getting the real thing.
Some of the fraudulent products included counterfeit needles, resulting in the agency not being able to certify if the needles were sterile. With neither Novo Nordisk nor the FDA able to confirm the ingredients or effectiveness of counterfeit products, the safety risks of taking them could increase
Some compounded versions—“essentially a copy”—of available commercial drugs are permitted by the FDA but only under particular circumstances like shortages. When Ozempic and Wegovy experienced a shortage in February 2025, the FDA announced the shortage was resolved, ending the sale of compounded versions.
The agency claims it is aware of six different reactions linked to the lot but none associated with the fraudulent products. The real Ozempic products come with their own side effects, such as stomach problems, so it’s not clear if the adverse events were caused by typical usage.
The drug has received some backlash. In September 2024, singer Macy Gray was rushed to the hospital after losing her breath while filming an episode of The Surreal Life. She used her confessional camera time to open up about how “awful” she felt at the time.
“This sucks because I’m here all the way in Colombia, and I really just want to give it my all, but I just feel awful, and I just want it to go away,” she said. “This is not going well. I can’t even walk very much without losing my breath.”
Other celebrities who used the product have raved about the results including Oprah Winfrey, who called the medication a “miracle” for people fighting obesity and diabetes.
The FDA encourages those who suspect counterfeit products to report them by calling a local FDA consumer complaint coordinator.
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