FDA warns consumers not to use off-brand versions of Ozempic, Wegovy

By JONEL ALECCIA
AP Health Writer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to use versions of the popular weight-loss drug used in Ozempic and Wegovy and sold online because they might not contain the same ingredients as prescription products and may not be safe or effective. Agency officials said this week that they have received reports of problems after patients used versions of semaglutide, the active ingredient in the brand-name medications, which have been compounded or mixed in pharmacies. Consumers should only use semaglutide prescribed by a health are provider and filled by a licensed pharmacy, FDA said.