More than a third of websites that advertise and sell compounded versions of popular drugs for diabetes and weight loss — such as Ozempic and Wegovy — falsely claim the compounded medications have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to a recent research letter.
Compounded drugs, such as those using the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide) or in Zepbound and Mounjaro (tirzepatide), are not FDA-approved and are not regulated in the same way as FDA-approved medications. Because of that, they come with risks, such as too much or too little active ingredient or contamination, even though they can be legally used in times of drug shortages. Currently, semaglutide is considered by the FDA to be in short supply. Compounded medications may also be used when individual patients…