Counterfeit Ozempic has been found inside the legitimate US drug supply three times since late 2023, according to FDA alerts. The fastest checks are the form, the label and the source. Authentic Ozempic injection comes only as a pre-filled pen, never a vial or syringe. The lot number, serial number and label layout should not match an FDA counterfeit alert. And the pen should come on a prescription from a state-licensed pharmacy. If something looks wrong, do not use the pen; keep it and report it.
This guide collects what the FDA and the manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, have published about spotting fakes, and what testing of online GLP-1 products has found.
Counterfeit Ozempic alerts so far
The FDA keeps one running alert, “FDA warns consumers not to use counterfeit Ozempic (semaglutide) found in U.S. drug supply chain”, and adds a dated entry for each new finding. All three cases involved the 1-milligram Ozempic pen.
| FDA entry date | What was found | How to identify it |
|---|---|---|
| December 21, 2023 | Thousands of units seized. Counterfeit needles, pen label, patient and professional leaflets, and carton | Lot NAR0074 with serial number 430834149057 |
| April 14, 2025 | Several hundred units, seized April 9, 2025, distributed outside Novo Nordisk’s authorized supply chain | Lot PAR0362 with a serial number beginning 51746517 |
| December 5, 2025 | Dozens of units seized from the legitimate supply chain | Lot PAR1229, which is also a real lot number. On the fakes, the “EXP/LOT” text sits to the left of the expiry date and lot number; on authentic pens it sits above them |
Two lessons come out of that table. First, a lot number alone proves nothing: PAR1229 is an authentic lot that counterfeiters copied, and the FDA says patients who received that lot through Novo Nordisk’s Patient Assistance Program have the real product. Second, these fakes reached ordinary pharmacy channels, not only websites.
The needle finding is the most concerning. In the December 2023 case, the FDA said the needles were counterfeit, so “the sterility of the needles cannot be confirmed, which presents an increased risk of infection.” Infection warning signs are covered in the injection infection guide.
How to spot counterfeit Ozempic: a checklist
| Check | What should be true |
|---|---|
| Form | A pre-filled pen in a carton. Novo Nordisk states that “Authentic Ozempic does not come in a syringe or vial.” |
| Carton contents | Each authentic carton contains a pre-filled pen and pen needles, per the same Novo Nordisk FAQ |
| Lot, serial and label | Do not match any FDA counterfeit entry: NAR0074 with 430834149057; PAR0362 with a serial starting 51746517; PAR1229 with EXP/LOT printed to the left |
| Appearance | Matches what you received before. The FDA flags medicine that “looks different than what you’ve previously received” |
| Packaging | Not broken or damaged, and includes instructions for use |
| Label text | No spelling errors, and a pharmacy name and address that are real |
| Source | A state-licensed pharmacy, filling a prescription from your own prescriber |
Novo Nordisk’s FAQ also shows photos of authentic and counterfeit pens, needles and cartons side by side. Comparing your pen with those photos is more reliable than going by memory.
Red flags in how it was sold
The FDA’s page on unapproved GLP-1 drugs lists warning signs. Be cautious if a company:
- offers medicine at deep discounts or prices that seem too good to be true;
- does not require a screening and a prescription from a licensed doctor;
- has no licensed doctor available to answer questions after you receive the medicine;
- sends medicine that looks different from what was pictured on its website;
- claims a compounded drug is the same as an FDA-approved drug.
The same page warns about fraudulent compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide. Some labels named compounding pharmacies that do not exist. Others named a real licensed pharmacy that, based on FDA information, did not make the product.
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Why buying semaglutide online is a counterfeit risk
Novo Nordisk says it is the only company in the US with FDA-approved medicines containing semaglutide, and that no generic versions currently exist. Any “generic semaglutide” offered to US buyers is therefore not an FDA-approved product.
A 2024 study gives a sense of the online market (Ashraf et al., J Med Internet Res, 2024). Researchers reviewed 1,080 search-result links and found 134 leading to 59 illegal online pharmacy websites. They then ordered semaglutide without a prescription from six of the sites. None of the three Ozempic pens ordered ever arrived, which the authors attributed to non-delivery scams. The three vials that did arrive were judged probable substandard and falsified products. Their measured purity was 7.7% to 14.37%, against the 99% claimed, and bacterial endotoxin was found in all three.
Products labeled “for research purposes” are a related problem. The FDA says it has warned companies selling semaglutide, tirzepatide and other GLP-1 drugs with that label directly to consumers. It calls them “of unknown quality.” See the research use only guide.
What counterfeit pens can contain
The FDA says counterfeit Ozempic “could contain the wrong ingredients, contain too little, too much or no active ingredient at all or other harmful ingredients.” In each alert, the FDA and Novo Nordisk said they were still testing the seized products to learn what was in them.
The FDA was aware of five adverse events linked to the December 2023 lot. None were serious, and all matched known common reactions to authentic Ozempic. For the 2025 lots, it reported six adverse-event reports each, none of which appeared to be associated with the counterfeit product. The absence of serious reports does not mean a counterfeit is harmless. Contents can vary from batch to batch, and too much active drug is as much a concern as none. Overdose symptoms are described in the GLP-1 dosing errors guide, and expected side effects of the real drug are in the GLP-1 side effects guide.
Other GLP-1 brands
The FDA alerts above cover Ozempic only, but counterfeiters copy other brands too. Eli Lilly, maker of Mounjaro and Zepbound, warns about counterfeit products on its counterfeit safety page and offers an online tool there to check a product’s authenticity. For any brand, the safest check is that the product came from a state-licensed pharmacy on your own prescription.
If you think your pen is fake
- Do not use it. The FDA advises patients not to use a pen matching the counterfeit details.
- Keep everything: the pen, needles, carton, leaflet and pharmacy label. Investigators need the lot and serial numbers.
- Contact the pharmacy that dispensed it, and Novo Nordisk customer care at 1-800-727-6500, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. The FDA alert gives this number.
- Report a reaction through FDA MedWatch online, or download the form and fax it to 1-800-FDA-0178.
- Report the seller. The FDA asks that suspected counterfeits and the people selling them be reported to its Office of Criminal Investigations through its report suspected criminal activity form.
If you have already injected from a suspect pen and feel unwell, a doctor or pharmacist is the right next step, and the pen and carton will help them. The current list of affected lots is always the FDA’s counterfeit Ozempic alert, where the newest entry appears at the top. It was last updated December 5, 2025.
Sources
- FDA: FDA warns consumers not to use counterfeit Ozempic (semaglutide) found in U.S. drug supply chain
- FDA: FDA’s concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss
- Novo Nordisk: Ozempic pen frequently asked questions (counterfeit identification)
- Eli Lilly and Company: Protect yourself from counterfeit and unsafe, mass compounded products
- Ashraf AR, et al. Multifactor quality and safety analysis of semaglutide products sold by online sellers without a prescription. J Med Internet Res. 2024.
- FDA: MedWatch adverse event reporting
- FDA Office of Criminal Investigations: Report suspected criminal activity