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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Ian Sample Science editor

UK public warned over dangers of fake weight loss medication pens

Weight Loss United Kingdom Alison Cave MHRA Will Quince
An original Ozempic pen and a counterfeit pen
Top, an original Ozempic pen – used for weekly jabs to manage blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes – and below a counterfeit, in a display from Germany’s Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices. Photograph: PA

The UK medicines regulator has issued a public warning about fake and potentially harmful weight loss pens after seizing hundreds of devices sold by illegal traders.

The pens, with which the traders’ drugs are injected, are claimed to contain the medications Ozempic (semaglutide) or Saxenda (liraglutide), which are used for weight loss. However, these pens are thought to contain other substances.

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