The company also said these medicines are for severe diseases and not approved for cosmetic weight loss. The company said it was the only “lawful supplier” of those drugs.
It also said they do not provide Tirzepatide to compounding pharmacies, wellness centres, or online retailers. The Indianapolis-based company further highlighted that these fake versions are “never safe to use.”
In its advisory, Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products, said, “WHO advises healthcare professionals, regulatory authorities, and the public to be aware of these falsified batches of medicines.”
“We call on stakeholders to stop any usage of suspicious medicines and report to relevant authorities”.
The semaglutides, including the specific brand product that has been falsified, are prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes to lower their blood sugar levels.
Semaglutides also reduce the risk of cardiovascular events.
Most semaglutide products must be injected under the skin weekly, but they are also available as tablets taken by mouth daily.
The WHO said these medicines are shown to suppress appetite in addition to lowering blood sugar levels and are therefore being increasingly prescribed for weight loss in some countries. They added that they have been seeing an increased demand for these medicines and reports on falsification.
“These falsified products could have harmful effects on people’s health; if the products don’t have the necessary raw components, falsified medicines can lead to health complications resulting from unmanaged blood glucose levels or weight,” the WHO said.
“In other cases, another undeclared active ingredient may be contained in the injection device, e.g. insulin, leading to an unpredictable range of health risks or complications,” it added.
Semaglutides are not part of WHO-recommended treatments for diabetes management due to their current high cost. The cost barrier makes these products unsuitable for a public health approach, which aims to ensure the widest possible access to medicines at the population level and to strike a balance between the best-established standard of care and what is feasible on a large scale in resource-limited settings.
Also, there are more affordable treatments available for diabetes, with similar effects to those of semaglutides on blood sugar and cardiovascular risk.
WHO is currently developing a rapid advice guideline on the possible use of GLP-1 RAs, including semaglutides, to treat obesity in adults and as part of a more comprehensive model of care.
The term GLP-1 RAs stands for glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, which include semaglutides. These are a class of medicines used for diabetes treatment to lower blood sugar and support weight loss.
The WHO said that to protect themselves from falsified medicines and their harmful effects, patients using these products can buy drugs with prescriptions from licensed physicians and avoid buying medicines from unfamiliar or unverified sources, such as those that may be found online.
“People should always check the packaging and expiration dates of medicines when they buy them, and they should use the products as prescribed. In the case of injectable semaglutides, patients should ensure they are stored in the refrigerator,” it advised.
It added that the WHO Global Surveillance and Monitoring System (GSMS) has been observing increased reports on falsified semaglutide products in all geographical regions since 2022.
The drug maker said they did not make any product marketed as tripeptide that isn’t Mounjaro or Zepbound and is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Novo Nordisk has also issued similar warnings about its medications.
