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French Agency Cracks Down on Counterfeit Ozempic-type Weight Loss Drugs Sold Online
PARIS – France’s National medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) is taking aggressive action against the online sale of potentially dangerous products falsely marketed as prescription weight loss drugs like Ozempic, wegovy, Saxenda, Victoza, Trulicity, and Mounjaro. The agency has identified approximately ten websites offering these counterfeit medications, which frequently enough have uncertain and potentially toxic compositions.
These drugs are typically prescribed only for severe obesity or diabetes and are administered via injector pens or patches. the ANSM warns that the fraudulent nature of these products is compounded by the unauthorized use of the agency’s logo on some packaging, creating a false sense of legitimacy.
“You are putting your life in danger” by using these products, cautioned Alexandre de la Volpilière, deputy director general of the ANSM. “We can find impurities, other products which are not those indicated and which can be toxic to health.” Beyond the health risks, the agency also flagged the operations as scams, warning customers they may not receive the product at all and risk having their banking details stolen.
The ANSM has already taken steps to halt these illegal sales, referring the matter to the public prosecutor under article 40 of the code of criminal procedure and filing reports with the Pharos portal of the Ministry of the Interior. Following pressure from the agency,major online marketplaces eBay,Cdiscount,and Amazon have removed the products from their sites.
However, seven websites, linked to companies based in Hong Kong, continue to sell the fraudulent drugs and are now facing prosecution for illegal sale and advertising of medicine. the ANSM has pledged to continue pursuing legal action against any new sites offering similar products, stating it “will reproduce all of these actions with each new site” and requesting customs officials to seize illegal shipments.
