FDA Warns Against Using Off-Brand Versions of Popular Diabetes, Weight Loss Drugs

The FDA has issued a warning about compounded or custom-made versions of the weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic.
The agency received reports of adverse events after patients used compounded versions of semaglutide, the active ingredient in the approved drugs.
The FDA says patients should only use approved weight-loss and diabetes drugs instead of compounded or custom-made versions whose safety and effectiveness are not verified.
Novo Nordisk's Ozempic has experienced a shortage this year due to high demand for weight loss, prompting some to seek unsafe alternatives like herbal supplements.
Compounded drugs may contain different active ingredients than the approved drugs and their effects are unknown and potentially dangerous.