Patients purchasing Ozempic online should be extremely careful amid a surge in seizures of fake versions of the medicine, Professor Luke O’Neill has warned.

New HPRA figures show that the amount of fake Ozempic seized in Ireland has almost trebled this year compared to last.

The figures, published in the Irish Daily Mail, show that 656 units of fake Ozempic seized in the first five months of this year – a figure that has increased to over 700 in the months since.

That compares to 254 units in 2023 and just 32 in 2022.

On The Pat Kenny Show this morning, Trinity Professor Luke O’Neill said fake Ozempic could be very dangerous for patients.

“Why are there always scammers out there?” he asked.

“These are people making, not snake oil, but kind of a tube that hasn't got Ozempic in it, it’s got something else and they are calling it Ozempic.”

'You don't know what you're getting'

He said Ozempic is administered through an injection – meaning it is harder to tell if you are using a fake substance.

“All they have to do is mimic the delivery system - the tube - and they can put anything in it,” he said.

“The question is, what is in these things? They're on sale now and especially if you buy it online, you don't know what you're getting.

“That's the warning here. You could be getting some awful thing in a tube but it’s not Ozempic and people are being fooled now and this scamming is getting more and more common.”

Ozempic

He said the ‘massive’ market for Ozempic makes it easier for scammers to find customers.

“This happens all the time,” he said.

“There are all these scammers out there and with Ozempic, there is a massive demand for that drug remember.

“I mean, it does cause weight loss and it's a really effective drug but [remember] if you get it the online route, it could well be a fake.”

Prof O’Neill noted that recent studies have found that Ozempic could be used to treat a range of new ailments – including Parkinson’s and addiction.

He said the new studies will make the drug more valuable to drug companies – and scammers.

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