New York: Europe and the Arabs
The World Health Organization issued an alert regarding three falsified batches of Semaglutide, specifically the brand name Ozambik, used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity in some countries.
The organization indicated in the alert that these fraudulent batches of the product Semaglutide had been detected in Brazil and the United Kingdom in October 2023 and in the United States of America in December 2023. According to what was stated in the United Nations daily news bulletin, a copy of which we received. Today morning
She added that the organization's global system for monitoring and monitoring substandard and falsified medical products has noted increasing reports of falsified semaglutide products in all geographical regions since 2022, noting that this notification is the first official notification issued by the organization after confirming some reports.
Dr. Yukiko Nakatani, Assistant Director-General of the WHO Department for Access to Medicines and Health Products, said that the organization “advises healthcare professionals, regulatory authorities and the public to be alert to these falsified batches of medicines. We call on stakeholders to stop the use of any suspicious medicines and report them to the relevant authorities.”
Health risks and complications
According to the World Health Organization, semaglutide is prescribed to patients with type 2 diabetes in order to lower their blood sugar levels. This medication also reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Most semaglutide products must be injected subcutaneously weekly, but they are also available in the form of medicinal tablets that are taken orally daily.
These drugs have been shown to reduce appetite in addition to lowering blood sugar levels, and are therefore increasingly prescribed for weight loss purposes in some countries.
The organization warned that if products do not contain the necessary initial ingredients, falsified medicines can cause health complications resulting from not reducing blood glucose levels or weight.
She added that in other cases, the drug injection device may contain an undeclared active ingredient in it, such as insulin, which causes exposure to an unexpected range of risks or health complications.
The organization explained that semaglutide products do not form part of the treatments recommended by the organization to treat diabetes due to their current high cost.
Ways of protection
The organization said that patients who use these products can protect themselves from counterfeit medications and their harmful effects by taking measures such as purchasing medications with prescriptions from licensed doctors and avoiding purchasing them from unfamiliar or unreliable sources, such as those found on the Internet.
She added that people should always check the packaging and expiry dates of medicines when purchasing them, and use the products according to the prescription.
As for semaglutide products taken by injection, patients should be sure to store them in the refrigerator, according to the World Health Organization.