US FDA warns website over unlawful sale of weight-loss drugs

(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it had warned a website called ozempen.com against unlawfully selling versions of Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drugs.

Surging demand has outpaced supply for Novo's Ozempic, Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and other GLP-1 drugs that promote weight loss, fueling a growing global market for counterfeit versions.

The FDA said the website was offering unapproved versions of obesity and diabetes drugs Ozempic and Wegovy.

"These products are only available pursuant to a prescription from a licensed practitioner," the health regulator said.

Last month, the World Health Organization issued warnings on fake drugs claiming to contain the active ingredient found in Ozempic and Wegovy.

Lilly and Novo have sued several entities to stop them from selling products claiming to contain the active ingredients tirzepatide and semaglutide that are used in their respective popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs.

(Reporting by Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)