On this photo, boxes of the diabetes medicine Ozempic rest on the counter of a pharmacy on April 17, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Mario Tama | Getty’s paintings
Latest Nordisk on Tuesday defendant five spas and wellness clinics for allegedly selling cheaper, unauthorized versions of Ozempic and Wegovy weight reduction drugs.
In line with complaints obtained by CNBC, the Danish drugmaker has filed lawsuits in federal courts in Latest York, Texas, Florida and Tennessee.
The lawsuits accused spas and clinics of marketing and selling “combination” medicinal products that allegedly contain semaglutide, the energetic ingredient in each Ozempic and Wegovy. Combination drugs are custom-made versions of a treatment which have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Novo Nordisk is the sole patent holder for semaglutide and doesn’t sell this ingredient to 3rd parties. It’s unclear what spas and clinics are literally selling to consumers.
Novo Nordisk has asked the courts for injunctions to dam the sale of the illicit drugs and an unspecified amount of monetary damages.
“These illegal marketing and sales practices, including the use of Novo Nordisk trademarks in reference to these practices, have created a high risk of consumer confusion and deception, in addition to potential security concerns,” the company wrote in press release Tuesday.
The spas and clinics named in the lawsuits are Pro Health Investments, Champion Health & Wellness Clinics, and Flawless Image Medical Aesthetics.
It also includes Effinger Health, which operates as Nuvida Rx Weight Loss, and Ekzotika Corp., which operates as Cosmetic Laser Professionals Med Spa. The latter clinic offers a $30 Groupon for a weekly “semaglutide weight management program.”
Spas and clinics didn’t immediately reply to CNBC’s requests for comment.
The suits come amid a shortage of Wegova and Ozempic, which has led to a boom in complex alternatives claiming to be popular injections.
FDA last month warned about the safety risks of unauthorized versions of Ozempic and Wegova following reports of adversarial health reactions to complex drug versions.
Just a few states too endangered take legal motion against merging pharmacies that manufacture or distribute unapproved variants of Novo Nordisk weight reduction treatments.