The illegal sale of the diabetes medication Ozempic, where the active substance semaglutide has also proven to be very effective for weight loss, is flourishing, according to the Medical Products Agency.
The authority is simultaneously warning of the consequences of buying the medicine in ways other than at pharmacies.
"Buying medication on the black market is like playing Russian roulette with your health. There is no guarantee that the product contains what is promised, or that it is manufactured under safe conditions", writes the Medical Products Agency in a press release.
According to the authority, several people have been affected by serious side effects or died after using counterfeit Ozempic.
Besides risking personal harm or death, the Medical Products Agency points out that the money from the illegal sale goes to criminal networks – which through the purchase also gain access to the buyers' personal data.
