As more and more people turn to modern medicine to help them shed some weight, a recent study found a new trend. Nearly half of all online pharmacies selling semaglutide, the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s popular weight loss drug Wegovy, are doing so illegally.
The FDA has warned consumers of the dangers of buying weight loss drugs online, because many are fake and can be dangerous.
Researchers found 42% of online pharmacies selling semaglutide drugs are operating without a valid license and selling the medication without a prescription.
While semaglutide drugs are approved by the FDA for weight management, high demand for prescriptions has caused shortages of legitimate drugs – which has led to what some experts call a “black market” of illegal knockoffs.
The study found drugs ordered from these illegal websites contained significantly more semaglutide than labeled, which can be dangerous. Additionally, one sample also showed signs of potential bacterial contamination.
Many people turn to the internet because their insurance plans won’t pay for the injections, or their doctors won’t write them a prescription – but this research shows it might not be worth it.
For the study, researchers ordered semaglutide from various websites. They found those samples had up to 39% more semaglutide than indicated on label – which could result in an overdose.
The researchers say from January to November 2023 alone, poison control centers across the U.S. reported nearly 3,000 calls involving semaglutide.
