As drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic become harder to obtain, some people across Greater Boston seeking weight loss help are turning to potentially risky alternatives, 5 Investigates found. But one of the side effects is weight loss, sparking a frenzy among people seeking help with weight loss and causing a national shortage. Others then turned to online telemedicine companies or local medspas, believing it was WeGoBe or Ozempic. Wegobee and Ozempic are being hailed as breakthroughs in diabetes because they mimic digestive hormones that lower blood sugar levels, suppress appetite and slow digestion. Dr. Christopher Davidson, a board-certified plastic surgeon, told Five Investigators that one of his colleagues felt sick after taking what he thought was Ozempic, which he had bought at a medspa. His colleagues did not wish to be interviewed, but allowed Dr. Davidson to share his story. “She had never taken a sick day in 10 years. She had to take a sick day one day after she took this drug,” Dr. Davidson said. “What symptoms did you have?” asked Dr. Brittany Johnson of Five Investigators. “I had nausea, gastrointestinal symptoms, general fatigue, loss of appetite, and low energy,” Dr. Davidson said. “She showed me a picture of Ozempic that was in the lettuce drawer of the refrigerator, and there were two anonymous syringes in it. We talked about whether it was really Ozempic,” Davidson said. the doctor said. Davidson said the medication his colleague was taking was prescribed at a pharmacy in Miami. A compounding pharmacy is a specialty pharmacy that dispenses therapeutic drugs for people who cannot take conventional medicines. When drugs are in short supply, the Food and Drug Administration authorizes designated compounding pharmacies to compound in-demand drugs. Telemedicine companies and medispas in Massachusetts are now using this exemption to claim that they can compound semaglutide, the main ingredient in Ozempic and WeGovy, and use it as a branded “generic.” The FDA has issued a warning against compounded semaglutide, stating, “Patients should be advised that some products sold as “semaglutide” contain the same active ingredient as FDA-approved semaglutide products such as Ozempic and Wegovy.” “It is important to note that there is a possibility that the drug may not be effective,” the statement said, adding that “its safety and effectiveness have not been proven.” “There are no generics for these drugs,” said Kelly Ann Burns, a pharmaceutical law professor at Northeastern University. “Generic drugs go through the same FDA process for approval as over-the-counter brand-name drugs,” Burns says. “Compounded drugs don’t go through those standards, so they’re not generic.” Burns warned that the semaglutide sodium commonly used in these pharmacies is not the same as the branded prescription drug, and that the pharmacies are not equipped to mass-produce the drug on this scale. “How do we know these formulations contain the same amount of semaglutide as Ozempic or Wegovy?” Johnson asked. “I don’t know,” Barnes replied. Illnesses such as gastrointestinal illness, seizures, and even hospitalization have been reported. The FDA noted that it received 239 reports of adverse events related to compounded semaglutide, but the number is limited because compounding pharmacies are not required to and often do not report adverse events. are doing. Johnson purchased semaglutide from two different online companies to see first-hand what the process was like. After Johnson submitted her medical history, the companies said she would receive a telemedicine call and a doctor would review her medical information form before deciding whether to ultimately approve the drug. Although the websites said there would be telemedicine calls with doctors, Johnson never had an appointment with a doctor. A few hours later, Johnson received a video message from his board-certified physician informing him that he had been approved to use semaglutide. 5 Investigations looked at the doctors’ qualifications and found that one was a dermatologist and the other was an obstetrician-gynecologist. Burns said the fact that a doctor in a seemingly unrelated specialty approved weight loss drugs for Johnson “certainly raises concerns.” “I think the scope of practice definitely needs to be looked at in terms of who is actually prescribing these drugs,” he said. Johnson’s prescription included a vial of semaglutide solution, an insulin syringe and an anti-nausea medication. Burns said the biggest risk with these drugs is that you don’t really know what you’re taking, so buyers should be careful. “Make sure you understand where your medication is coming from, whether it’s a properly licensed pharmacy, whether it’s accredited, and do your homework to be safe,” Burns said. He said Nordisk, the company that makes Ozempic, has filed 12 lawsuits against medi-spas and pharmacies and plans to continue filing lawsuits against companies it claims contain semaglutide. Ta.
As drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic become harder to obtain, some people across Greater Boston looking for help with weight loss are turning to potentially dangerous alternatives, 5 people found It was discovered by the group.
But one of the side effects was weight loss, sparking a frenzy among people seeking help with weight loss and a national shortage. Some people have since turned to online telemedicine companies or local medical spas to obtain what they believe to be Wegovy or Ozempic.
Weogby and Ozempic have been hailed as breakthrough drugs for diabetes because they are digestive hormone-like drugs that lower blood sugar levels, suppress appetite, and slow digestion.
Dr. Christopher Davidson, a board-certified plastic surgeon, told 5 Investigates that one of his colleagues felt sick after taking what he believed to be Ozempic, which he had purchased from a medspa.
Although his colleague did not want to be interviewed, she gave Davidson permission to share her story.
“She had never called in sick in 10 years. She took this medication and the next day she had to call in sick,” Davidson said.
“What symptoms did she have?” 5 Investigator Brittany Johnson asked.
“She had nausea, gastrointestinal symptoms, general fatigue, loss of appetite and loss of energy,” Davidson responded.
“She showed me a picture of Ozempic in the lettuce drawer of the refrigerator, and there were two unmarked syringes in there, and we started talking about whether this was really Ozempic,” Davidson said. said.
Davidson said the co-worker’s medication came from a pharmacy in Miami.
Compounding pharmacies are pharmacies that specialize in treating people who are unable to take conventional medications. When drugs are in short supply, the Food and Drug Administration allows designated compounding pharmacies to manufacture versions of drugs that are in high demand.
Telemedicine companies and medispas across Massachusetts are now using this exemption to claim that they can compound semaglutide, the main ingredient in Ozempic and Wigovy, and use it as a “generic” form of their brands. .
The FDA says that “patients should be aware that some products marketed as ‘semaglutide,’ such as Ozempic and Wigovy, may not contain the same active ingredient as FDA-approved semaglutide products.” ” and issued a warning against the compound semaglutide. Proven to be safe and effective. ”
“There are no generic versions of these drugs,” said Kelly Ann Burns, a professor of pharmaceutical law at Northeastern University.
“Generic drugs go through the FDA process and are approved in the same way as over-the-counter brand-name drugs,” Burns said. “Combined drugs do not pass such standards and are therefore not generic drugs.”
Burns warned that the sodium semaglutide these pharmacies often use is not the same as prescription brand-name brands, and compounding pharmacies are not set up to mass-produce the drug on this scale.
“How do we know these combined versions contain as much semaglutide as Ozempic or Wigoby?” Johnson asked.
“You don’t know,” Barnes replied.
Some people report illnesses such as gastrointestinal problems, seizures, and even hospitalization.
The FDA said it received 239 reports of adverse events related to combined semaglutide, but that the number of reports is limited because compounding pharmacies are not required to report adverse events and often do not do so.
Johnson purchased semaglutide from two different online companies so she could see firsthand what the process was like.
After Johnson submitted her medical history, the companies said she would receive a telemedicine call and a doctor would review her medical intake form to ultimately determine whether she would be approved to receive the drug.
Although each website said there would be telemedicine calls with doctors, Johnson never met one-on-one with a doctor.
A few hours later, Johnson received a video message from a board-certified doctor informing her that she had been approved to receive semaglutide. 5 Investigators looked up the doctors’ credentials and found that one was a dermatologist and the other was an obstetrician-gynecologist.
Mr Burns said it “certainly raises some concerns” that doctors in these seemingly unrelated specialties were the ones who approved Mr Johnson’s use of weight loss drugs.
“I definitely think we need to look at the scope of practice in terms of who is actually prescribing these drugs,” she said.
Both of Johnson’s prescriptions contained a vial of semaglutide solution, insulin syringes and anti-nausea medication.
Barnes said the biggest risk with these drugs is that you don’t actually know what you’re taking, so buyers should be careful.
“Just make sure you understand where the drug is coming from, that it’s a properly licensed pharmacy, that it’s accredited, and just do your homework to be safe,” Burns says.
Novo Nordisk, which makes Ozempic, said it has filed 12 lawsuits against medi-spas and pharmacies and will continue to file lawsuits against companies it claims contain semaglutide.
