Argentine food and drug regulator ANMAT has banned pills that were fraudulently being sold online as the popular diabetes and weight loss drug, Ozempic.

The fake Ozempic was sold as tablets, rather than the standard injection pen, and the companies manufacturing and selling it were not registered with ANMAT. The regulator has reported them to the public prosecutor’s cybercrime unit.

Ozempic is a GLP-1 medication used to treat diabetes and help patients lose weight. It has revolutionized treatment in these areas — but doctors say they’re seeing increasing demand for the drug from individuals who do not need it because they want to slim down. The product can be cheaper in Argentina than countries such as the U.S. — but cases such as this could prompt would-be buyers to look before they leap.

ANMAT’s decision was published in Argentina’s Official Gazette on Monday. It applies to the........

© Buenos Aires Herald