Are Knockoffs Making Weight Loss Drugs Cheaper?
Slickly designed websites. Unbelievable markdowns. A simple online search for semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic or Wegovy, can lead consumers down a rabbit hole of seemingly reputable online pharmacies in search of weight loss drugs at a discounted price. The temptation is clear for many Americans, but some of those deals come with a potentially deadly cost.
U.S. consumers pay higher prices for weight loss drugs than any other country in the world, according to a 2023 KFF study. Cheaper alternatives online, however, are not always what they seem. “People are really taking a risk by ordering these products online and not knowing the supplier that’s sending it to them,” said Salvatore Ingrassia, port director for Customs and Border Protection at New York’s JFK Airport.
CBP agents are on the front lines, intercepting counterfeit prescription drugs, which pour into the country. These include knockoffs of popular weight loss drugs.
Excerpted from CBS News
