Pharmacy chains have discovered in Moscow a medicine for diabetes “Ozempik” at a price above the limit

The Russian Association of Pharmacy Chains (RACC) appealed to Roszdravnadzor because of the appearance on the market of the antidiabetic drug Ozempik in “doubtful packaging” and at a price three to four times higher than the limit. Market participants began to identify such drugs six months ago, they recently appeared in Moscow pharmacies. Roszdravnadzor reported RBCthat will take action in conjunction with law enforcement.

RAAS, which unites 70% of the commercial pharmaceutical market, was wary of “a separate case of the acquisition of Ozempic in March in a non-chain pharmacy organization in Moscow,” the letter says. There were no inscriptions in Russian on the cardboard packaging, the instruction leaflet also did not contain Russian text. “The QR code on the packaging valve was not read through the MDLP system. We have concerns that more than one unit of a popular drug in the wrong type of packaging has hit the market,” the letter says.

Roszdravnadzor said that the RAAS notified him of the situation, but an official appeal has not yet been received. When this happens, the department’s specialists “together with law enforcement agencies will take all necessary response measures within the framework of existing legislation.”

The manufacturer of Ozempic, the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, posted a warning on its website for patients about the sale of a counterfeit drug through legal and illegal distribution channels.

Novo Nordisk in autumn 2022 reported about plans to stop deliveries of Ozempic to Russia. According to Roszdravnadzor, the drug will be supplied to Russia at least until the end of 2023.

Ozempic is used for type 2 diabetes. However, in recent months it has been actively discussed due to its use for weight loss. In May 2022, information appeared in the media that Kim Kardashian used it, but there was no confirmation. In the fall, Elon Musk wrote that he used Vegovi, a drug similar to Ozempic, for weight loss, but it is not known for sure whether he wrote about it as a joke.

Leonid Uvarchev