
The United States Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning to consumers not to use off-brand versions of the popular weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy because they may not include the same ingredient included in the FDA-approved medications.
This week, agency officials said they have received reports of problems after patients used versions of semaglutide, the key active ingredient in the GLP-1 medication, that were compounded – or mixed using two or more drugs – in pharmacies. Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, and the agency does not verify the safety or effectiveness of compounded drugs.