There are only two FDA-approved semaglutide drugs available by prescription
The feds are cracking down on unapproved sales of weight lossdrugs claiming to contain Ozempic'sactive ingredient, semaglutide. Ozempen.com is the latest to get caught in the crosshairs.
Ozempen.com, which advertises the "same active ingredient as Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy, now more budget-friendly," should stop selling its selling unapproved, misbranded injectable drugs that have health risks,the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.
"This is critical to protect the public from harm," the FDA said.
There are two FDA-approved semaglutide drugs available by prescription, Ozempic and Wegovy, but none for the4mg Semaglutide Pen and 8mg Semaglutide Pen sold on Ozempen.com, the FDA said.
FDA-approved semaglutide drugs havea so-called black box warning, the strongest required due to serious or even life-threatening effects, which notes the risk of thyroid C-cell tumors.
This is the sixth warning letter the FDA has sent regardingOzempic or semaglutide drugs since 2023, including to Dashpct.com, Gorillahealing.com and Semaspace.com.
The warnings come at a time whenOzempic-related scams are on the rise. People are getting targeted through email phishing scams and scammers impersonating doctors online. Phishing attempts about weight loss drugs were up 183% in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the fourth quarter of 2023, according to cybersecurity company McAfee.
In response to scams and illicit online pharmacies, the FDA offers tools to help people safely identify where they can buy drugs online through its BeSafeRxcampaign.
"Some websites may appear to be legitimate online pharmacies, but they are actually operating illegally and selling medicines that can be dangerous, even deadly," FDA spokesperson Amanda Hils told ConsumerAffairs.
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
Posted: 2024-07-04 06:14:39
