Danish manufacturer appealed to Azerbaijani health workers and the public in connection with a counterfeit medicine

Representative office of the Danish pharmaceutical manufacturer “Novo Nordisk A/S”  in Azerbaijan appealed to health workers and the population. In the application submitted to the Public Relations and Communication Department of the Analytical Expertise Center, it is stated that due to the high demand for the drug Ozempik®, numerous cases of falsification of the medicine Ozempik® 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg are observed. The representative said that all cases of counterfeiting are monitored and recorded by Novo Nordisk. Currently, cases of counterfeiting have been registered in the following countries: Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. The company also gave recommendations on how to distinguish between fake Ozempik® 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg:

• A syringe-pen used by the insulin manufacturer for insulin therapy
• The presence of a dose counter with a maximum of 80 unit divisions (on the original Ozempik® syringe-pen there are only 3 division scales: 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg)
• When squeezed, a liquid with a strong insulin smell flows from the needle

Novo Nordisk A/S strongly advises both healthcare professionals and patients to pay particular attention to the Ozempik® syringe-pen when purchasing the drug from a pharmacy. In cases of suspicion of counterfeiting the medicine, it is strictly forbidden to take this medicine in order to avoid harm to health. Using counterfeit medicine can be life-threatening for the patient!

Novo Nordisk A/S recommends that healthcare professionals review the contents of the Ozempik® package with patients to identify counterfeiting. If a fake is detected, it is asked to report it to the company’s e-mail io-rom-safety@novonordisk.com

Novo Nordisk A/S is closely monitoring the situation and thanks everyone in advance for providing information about the counterfeiting of Ozempik®.