The demand for weight-loss drugs like semaglutide has been surging among overweight and obese individuals worldwide. While semaglutide is available only through prescription or at high cost in several countries, many fraudulent online pharmacies have started selling counterfeit drugs targeting overweight individuals. Now, a study has investigated the quality of semaglutide offered by such online pharmacies. In the study, researchers analyzed 317 online pharmacy websites that advertised the sale of semaglutide without a prescription.
They found that 42% of them are operating illegally. In addition, they ordered six semaglutide products online and received only three. Among the three semaglutide products, one had a higher endotoxin (8.95 EU/mg) concentration. While all three products had semaglutide with purity levels of 7 to 14%, the total amount of semaglutide in these products was 29…
