Counterfeit Ozempic-labelled pens are being sold in Australia. 

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and the Australian Border Force (ABF) have detected the fake Ozempic-labelled pens.  

The TGA is warning people to look for spelling errors, instruction leaflets not in English, unsealed packaging, or changes in medicine size, shape, or appearance. These are indicators that the medicine has not been produced by the original manufacturer or is being illegally sold in the wrong market. 

The two products which have prompted the alert both appear to be relabelled insulin pens. The end ap is blue (not grey), the dosage barrel is in a different place, the sticker is not adhering properly to the pen, and the packaging is poor quality. 

There has already been a life-threatening incident in Australia with a person using a fake pen labelled as Ozempic which contained insulin. This pen was bought overseas. Unintended use of insulin can cause dangerously low life-threatening blood glucose levels.  

The batch numbers labelled on the pens - NPSG234 detected by ABF and JS7A925 from the adverse event – have been confirmed as not genuine batch numbers by Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic.  

The ABF said the products were purchased online from an overseas website and imported under the personal importation scheme.