An urgent warning has been issued to Brits to avoid bogus fat loss coups found in the UK.
Earlier today, the World Health Organization warned that the drugs could be life-threatening.
The WHO issued the warning after finding three fake batches of semaglutide in Brazil and the United Kingdom in October 2023, and in the United States in December 2023.
To avoid fake medicines, the health organization recommended people only purchase products with a prescription and avoid purchasing medicines from unverified sources, including online stores.
They added that Brits should check the packaging and make sure medicines have not expired and always take them as prescribed.
Weight loss drugs like Ozempic are used to treat obesity and diabetes, but now fake versions are flooding the market (file image)
Fake batches of Wegovy and Ozempic have been found around the world and the WHO has warned Brits not to buy the jabs from unverified sources (File Image)
Counterfeit and ‘dangerous’ weight loss pens mother-of-two bought online, causing near-fatal reaction
This is not the first time stark warnings have been issued.
Earlier this year, a mother-of-three told how she nearly died after injecting herself with a ‘skinny jab’ she bought online.
Lynsay McAvoy, from Edinburgh, bought the injections online in the hope of losing belly fat, despite weighing just 8st (51kg).
After losing about 7 pounds (3 kg) in just a few weeks, the mother of three ordered another batch of injections.
However, the 42-year-old beautician suffered a severe allergic reaction: her tongue swelled and her eyes burned, causing her to faint.
After being rushed to hospital, doctors informed her that she had suffered a severe allergic reaction to the injections, which in severe cases can lead to organ failure.
She said she felt ’embarrassed’ and warned that despite seeming like a ‘quick fix’, pens are ‘dangerous’.
He said the injections looked exactly the same as the first batch he bought and that he poked himself in the stomach before getting to work.
However, within seconds, his tongue had swollen, his skin itched, and his eyes “began to burn” to the point that he struggled to open them.
Lynsay McAvoy, from Edinburgh, bought the injections online in the hope of losing belly fat, despite weighing just 8kg (51kg).
Single mother Michelle Sword nearly died in front of her children after injecting herself with a “fake skinny punch” she bought online.
Michelle Sword, 45, pictured with her two children Cadie (right), 13, and Coen (left), 18, who watched in horror as their mother collapsed.
In November last year, mother-of-two Michelle Sword nearly died in front of her children after injecting them with a fake weight-loss jab.
Doctors told the 45-year-old she was very lucky to be alive after self-administering a “dangerous” weight loss pen she bought online for £150 in September.
Sword, who lives in Carterton, Oxfordshire, said he had previously tried the drug “legitimately” through an online pharmacy three years earlier, but decided to try the viral weight-loss shot again in a bid to lose a few kilos.
The 45-year-old was able to buy the medication “very easily” online, but she never expected that the injection would cause her to collapse on the floor and attack in front of her eldest daughter on September 20.
Dr. Yukiko Nakatani, WHO deputy director-general for Essential Medicines and Health Products, said health authorities and the public should be aware of dangerous medicines that claim to contain the active ingredient found in Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) .
It also demanded that all interested parties report any suspicious drugs to the relevant authorities.
A WHO spokesperson said they had been seeing growing demand for these drugs, as well as an increase in reports of fake versions flooding the market.
They said Sun: ‘These counterfeit products could have harmful effects on people’s health; If the products do not have the necessary raw components, counterfeit medicines can cause health complications resulting from uncontrolled blood glucose levels or weight.
“In other cases, the injection device may contain another undeclared active ingredient, for example insulin, leading to an unpredictable range of health risks or complications.”
The health organization also said that due to the high cost of Semaglutides, they are not recommended as a treatment for obesity and instead the WHO is working on advice to better address the obesity epidemic.