In this photo illustration, boxes of the diabetes drug Ozempic are seen on the counter of a pharmacy on April 17, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Mario Tama | Getty Images
Novo Nordisk Tuesday prosecute Five medical spas and wellness clinics allegedly sold cheaper, unauthorized versions of the company’s diet drugs Ozempic and Wegovy.
The Danish drugmaker filed suit in federal court in New York, Texas, Florida and Tennessee, according to a complaint obtained by CNBC.
The lawsuits accuse the spas and clinics of marketing and selling “combination” drug products that claim to contain semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy. Compounded drugs are customized versions of treatments that have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Novo Nordisk is the sole patent holder for semaglutide and does not sell the ingredient to outside entities. It’s unclear what the spas and clinics are actually selling to consumers.
Novo Nordisk is seeking a court order prohibiting the sale of the unauthorized drug and an undisclosed amount of monetary damages.
“These illegal marketing and sales practices, including the use of the Novo Nordisk trademarks associated with these practices, create a high risk of consumer confusion and deception as well as potential safety concerns,” the company wrote in a statement. Press release Tuesday.
The spas and clinics named in the lawsuit include 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 does business as Cosmetic Laser Professionals Med Spa. The latter clinic is offering a $30 Groupon for a weeklong “semaglutide weight management program.”
The spa and clinic did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
The lawsuits come amid shortages of Wegovy and Ozempic, which has led to a boom in compounded alternatives that claim to be popular injectables.
FDA last month warn Regarding the safety risks of unauthorized versions of Ozempic and Wegovy, there have been previous reports of adverse health effects from compounded versions of these drugs.
several states also have being threatened Legal action against compounding pharmacies that manufacture or distribute unapproved variants of Novo Nordisk weight loss treatments.
