This image taken on October 23, 2023, exhibits Ozempic remedy bins, an injectable antidiabetic drug, in a pharmacy in Riedisheim, japanese France. —picture by Sebastien Bozon/Agence France-Presse
MANILA, Philippines — Since he switched to a “more healthy way of life” this month, Markie, a 33-year-old public faculty trainer, has been noticing a wave of commercials assuring him of a “secure and quick” option to drop some weight.
One advert he discovered on social media “provided a drug with the identical energetic ingredient as Ozempic,” the model identify of medication used to deal with diabetes and weight problems in some international locations. It has gained reputation amongst individuals who wish to slim down, resulting in a world scarcity in provide since 2022, together with within the Philippines.
READ: My life on Ozempic, the so-called weight-loss ‘miracle drug’
In accordance with the advert, those that avail themselves of the provide for a one-time cost of P7,800 can be injected with the drug as soon as per week for six weeks, topic to the approval of a health care provider who could be consulted on-line. As soon as accepted, the drugs can be delivered to the affected person’s dwelling via a “free and discreet” service.
“It’s tempting, however I didn’t undergo with it as a result of I need my weight reduction journey to be pure,” Markie advised the Inquirer on Sunday.
In its alert on June 19, the World Well being Group (WHO) warned about faux shares of Ozempic (generic identify: semaglutide).
READ: Risking lives for self-importance
Multinational firm Novo Nordisk confirmed that three batches of the favored drug “misrepresent their identification and supply as they weren’t manufactured” by the corporate.
‘Severe dangers’
Batch No. LP6F832 shouldn’t be acknowledged, the corporate stated, whereas the mix of batch No. NAR0074 with serial No. 430834149057 doesn’t correspond with real manufacturing data. The third batch with quantity MP5E511 is real however the product is falsified.
“Using falsified Ozempic could end result within the ineffective therapy of sufferers as a consequence of incorrect dosage, contamination with dangerous substances, or use of unknown or substituted components,” WHO stated. “It might pose different severe dangers to well being due to its subcutaneous injection administration that may very well be life-threatening.”
Within the Philippines, Ozempic has been registered with the Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) since 2020, though diabetes sufferers have additionally complained concerning the scarcity in shares, forcing some to show to the black market.
Whereas a single dose of Ozempic is bought in big-chain drugstores for P7,650, the value can go up in on-line shops and unregulated marketplaces on social media.
However, a 500 mg pill of metformin, which is the principle first-line remedy for the therapy of sort 2 diabetes, is bought for lower than P4.
FDA spokesperson Pamela Sevilla stated earlier that Novo Nordisk had knowledgeable authorities in 2022 a couple of worldwide scarcity of the drug as a consequence of an “surprising enhance in demand as a consequence of off-label prescribing” for weight reduction.
Off-label prescribing occurs when a drug is prescribed to deal with situations apart from these accepted by the FDA. It’s a authorized and common incidence, notably within the therapy of unusual illnesses and situations.
“However the FDA has no jurisdiction to control the choice of medical doctors in the event that they use their scientific judgment to prescribe Ozempic for different well being situations, except for diabetes,” Sevilla stated.
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The FDA as an alternative referred to as on its father or mother company, the Division of Well being, in addition to the Philippine Medical Affiliation, to control how medical doctors prescribe Ozempic for off-label use.
