When GLP-1 drugs for diabetes and weight loss, exploded onto the scene two years ago, patients scrambled to get their hands on them. GLP-1s, which include Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound, are so popular that it didn’t take long for them to wind up in short supply. According to one recent survey conducted by KFF Health Tracking, as many as one in eight adults has now used a GLP-1.
The demand shows no signs of slowing down, and as a result, counterfeit GLP-1 drugs are becoming an increasingly bigger piece of the landscape—so big in fact, that the World Health Organization (WHO) last week issued a warning to people to be wary of the fake versions. Alongside the warning, drug makers Eli Lily and Novo Nordisk have filed lawsuits against several entities to stop selling the counterfeits.
