NAFDAC Alerts Public On Fake Ozempic

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a public notification regarding the identification of a falsified batch of Ozempic (Semaglutide) Pen in Nigeria.

The Marketing Authorization Holder (MAH), Novo Nordisk, confirmed that the falsified product is an Ozempic Injection Pen with the batch number MP5B060. The discovery was made after a customer raised concerns about the authenticity of the product. Although no physical sample was returned for investigation, upon scrutiny of the provided picture, it was evident that the pen in question differed from the genuine product, confirming its falsified status.

The MAH has reported multiple cases of falsified Ozempic originating from the Middle East and Russia. Countries affected by this issue include Azerbaijan, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Russia.

Investigations conducted on the received falsified pens have revealed that they are relabelled Apidra Solostar pens. Analysis of the content in one of the pens confirmed the presence of fast-action insulin glulisine, suggesting that all identified falsified Ozempic pens contain a different substance from the genuine product.

The primary distinguishing feature between the counterfeit and genuine Ozempic pens is that the genuine Novo Nordisk pens do not extend or increase in length when setting the dose. The scale drum increments on the genuine pens are fixed doses, such as 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, and 1.0 mg.