DANIEL PREDA,

LILIANA CUREA

Several individuals from Austria and the United Kingdom have been hospitalized in serious condition. In Romania, the National Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices (NAMMD) warns of the danger faced by patients who purchase the treatment online.

According to authorities in Austria and the United Kingdom, multiple patients have been admitted with hypoglycemia and seizures.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency from the UK has so far confiscated 369 potentially false Ozempic injectable devices and has already warned the public not to buy such items online.

The counterfeiters took pre-filled insulin devices and relabeled them. This is despite the fact that insulin pens intended for diabetes patients look different. The danger is extremely high, because if people inject insulin without needing it, they can experience hyperglycemia, which can lead to a coma and even death.

In Denmark, 26 websites without authorization to sell drugs have been reported to the police by the Danish Medicines Agency. They claimed to sell various drugs, including Ozempic. A similar investigation has also begun in Germany.

National agencies regulating the market entry of drugs in several countries, including in Romania, warn the public not to buy the treatment from unauthorized sellers.

Director of NAMMD: "We received information regarding several batches in wholesale depots in Austria and Germany. Inspections have been conducted and these batches have not made their way into the Romanian market. We strongly advise acquiring prescription medications with guidance from specialized doctors, exclusively through authorized pharmaceutical establishments".

The popularity of this medication, actually intended for diabetes patients, has increased after several celebrities and influencers described it as effective for rapid weight loss, although doctors warn that it should only be used by those with diabetes.

Ozempic contains semaglutide, a synthetic version of hormones that help control blood sugar and create a feeling of satiety.

Bogdan Timar, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Timișoara: "It is a medication that can only be obtained with a medical prescription issued by a diabetologist for the treatment of type two diabetes and not for weight loss. If we obtain this medication from the official channel, meaning from pharmacies, we have no reason to worry that it might be counterfeit".

Ozempic pens have 2D barcodes and unique serial numbers on each package. While counterfeit packages also had serial numbers, when scanned, those codes were inactive. Counterfeiters even resorted to copying pens that were colored with a lighter blue than the originals.