This is a regulatory-document tracker, not medical advice. It records what public authorities have formally stated about specific products. It does not estimate prevalence, establish causality, or guide purchasing decisions. Data files: Core CSV · All Records CSV · JSON · XLSX
The dataset behind this tracker was assembled from dedicated public notices issued by drug regulators in 12 countries. Every record met a single binary rule before entering the core count: the issuing authority used the word counterfeit, falsified, or a jurisdictional equivalent with a specific product or presentation. Advisory warnings about general market risk, shortage exploitation without a specific product identification, and spontaneous adverse-event reports were excluded from the core count.
Between May 2, 2023 and July 30, 2026, that rule produced 32 dedicated regulator notice records. Two additional notices described suspected events and are tracked separately. The 32 core records span products including Ozempic, Mounjaro, Rybelsus, and Victoza within a UK multi-brand notice, and in some cases products claiming to be a GLP-1 without a brand assertion. The two suspected notices add detail context in the downloadable dataset but are not added to any headline count on this page.
The tracker does not estimate how often counterfeiting occurs, how many units were affected, or what proportion of the market any record represents. Those estimates require a denominator that does not exist in the public record. This page measures only what regulatory authorities formally disclosed under the inclusion rule.
| Finding | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Total core records | 32 | Dedicated regulator notices meeting the confirmed or falsified inclusion rule, May 2023 – July 2026 |
| Suspected-event notices | 2 | Tracked separately; not added to the 32-record core count |
| Issuing jurisdictions | 12 | United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, France, Netherlands, Turkey, Singapore |
| Products in the core record | 5 brands + unbranded | Ozempic, Mounjaro, Rybelsus, Victoza (in a multi-brand UK notice), Saxenda (in a multi-brand UK notice), unbranded products claiming GLP-1 content |
| Composition result published | 8 of 32 | 24 core notices did not disclose a composition finding at last verification |
| Jurisdictions with insulin documented | 4 | Germany, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Australia |
| Patient harm documented | In at least 4 records | Acute hypoglycemia, hospitalization, hypoglycemic shock, life-threatening adverse event |
| Named lot or serial identifiers | At least 7 published | PAR1229 (US), D873576 (UK), D881474 (Brazil), and others; see lot table below for full context |
| EudraVigilance spontaneous reports (semaglutide, potential counterfeit / tampered) | 234 | Not analytically confirmed products; cannot be added to the 32 core records (see EudraVigilance section) |
Source: The RX Index Editorial Team review of primary regulator notices, dataset v1.1.0, verified August 1, 2026.
The following table records the most consequential publicly documented events in chronological order. It is not the full 32-record dataset. Dates marked with an asterisk (*) represent the date of the notice or the date the event was publicly identified by the authority, not necessarily the date of manufacture or sale.
| Date* | Jurisdiction | Authority | Product | Key finding or action | Harm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 2023 | United States | FDA | Ozempic | First entry in FDA’s rolling counterfeit Ozempic alert. Counterfeit pens identified in the legitimate U.S. drug supply chain. | Not stated |
| 2023 (Q3) | Australia | TGA | Ozempic | TGA alert: falsified Ozempic with insulin content identified. First Australian regulator record in the dataset. | Acute hypoglycemia |
| 2023 (Q3–Q4) | Switzerland | Swissmedic | Ozempic | Swissmedic alert: falsified product found to contain insulin glulisine rather than semaglutide. Patient reaction investigated. | Acute hypoglycemia; hospitalization |
| 2023 (Q4) | United Kingdom | MHRA | Ozempic 1 mg/1.5 mL | MHRA drug alert: falsified Ozempic pens identified. Multiple lot and serial identifiers published, including XA9C10. No semaglutide detected in tested units. | Not stated |
| Dec 21, 2023 | United States | FDA | Ozempic | Dated event in FDA rolling alert: counterfeit Ozempic found in the legitimate U.S. supply chain. Lot PAR1229 identified (note: PAR1229 is also a genuine authentic Ozempic lot). | Not stated |
| Early 2024 | Germany | BfArM | Ozempic | BfArM alert: falsified Ozempic with insulin documented. Composition analytically established; no patient outcome published in the notice. | Not stated in notice |
| 2024 | Switzerland | Swissmedic | Semaglutide product | Second Swissmedic record. Hypoglycemic shock documented in associated patient investigation. | Hypoglycemic shock |
| 2024 | Australia | TGA | Ozempic | TGA urgent warning: falsified Ozempic associated with a life-threatening adverse event. Recall action taken. | Life-threatening adverse event |
| 2024 | United Kingdom | MHRA | Mounjaro 15 mg | MHRA drug alert: falsified Mounjaro 15 mg pens bearing genuine Mounjaro 7.5 mg batch number D873576. The genuine lot was copied; the pens were not genuine 15 mg Mounjaro. | Not stated |
| 2024 | United Kingdom | MHRA | Multi-brand (Ozempic, Saxenda, Victoza) | MHRA multi-product drug alert covering multiple GLP-1 and liraglutide brands. Saxenda and Victoza appear as brands in this multi-brand notice only. | Not stated |
| 2024 | Brazil | Anvisa | Ozempic | Anvisa alert: lot D881474 identified as falsified. Anvisa stated that this action did not apply to other authentic units carrying that lot number. | Not stated |
| Apr 14, 2025 | United States | FDA | Ozempic | Dated update in FDA rolling alert. Additional counterfeit Ozempic pens identified. Lots and serials not published in the public notice. | Not stated |
| Dec 5, 2025 | United States | FDA | Ozempic | Dated update in FDA rolling alert. Counterfeit Ozempic distributed outside Novo Nordisk’s authorized supply chain. | Not stated |
| 2026 (Q1) | Mexico | COFEPRIS | Semaglutide pen | COFEPRIS detection: package and pen carried mismatched lots. Laboratory analysis: no semaglutide detected. Contents not fully established at last verification. | Not stated |
Sources: FDA MedWatch rolling alert; MHRA drug alerts; Swissmedic safety communications; TGA safety alerts; BfArM safety notices; Anvisa alerts; COFEPRIS notices. Individual citations in the Primary Sources section below.
The table below lists every product brand and lot or serial identifier that appeared in a core notice, along with the authority that published it, the date of the notice, and important context. A lot or serial number appearing in a regulator alert does not mean that every unit carrying that number is falsified. In three documented cases, the identified number was also a genuine authentic batch.
| Identifier | Product | Jurisdiction | Authority | Date | Status published | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAR1229 | Ozempic | United States | FDA | Dec 21, 2023 | Counterfeit | FDA confirmed PAR1229 is also an authentic Ozempic lot. The presence of this lot number alone does not establish a pen is counterfeit. |
| XA9C10 | Ozempic 1 mg/1.5 mL | United Kingdom | MHRA | 2023 (Q4) | Falsified | One of the lot/serial identifiers in the MHRA Ozempic drug alert. No semaglutide detected in tested units carrying this identifier. |
| D873576 | Mounjaro 15 mg (falsified) | United Kingdom | MHRA | 2024 | Falsified | MHRA stated D873576 is a genuine Mounjaro 7.5 mg batch number that was copied onto falsified 15 mg pens. The genuine 7.5 mg batch is not falsified. |
| D881474 | Ozempic | Brazil | Anvisa | 2024 | Falsified | Anvisa identified specific units under this lot as falsified. Anvisa stated the action did not apply to other authentic units of that lot. |
| Multiple (not published) | Ozempic | United States | FDA | Apr 14, 2025; Dec 5, 2025 | Counterfeit | FDA’s rolling alert updates referenced additional counterfeits but did not publish specific lot or serial numbers in the public notice. |
| Mismatched lot pairs | Semaglutide pen | Mexico | COFEPRIS | 2026 (Q1) | Falsified | Package and pen carried different, mismatched lot numbers. No semaglutide detected on laboratory analysis. Specific lot numbers not published in the public notice. |
| Multiple (not published in notice) | Ozempic, Saxenda, Victoza | United Kingdom | MHRA | 2024 | Falsified | Multi-brand alert. Individual lot identifiers for each product not published in the public summary notice. |
Sources: FDA MedWatch; MHRA drug alerts; Anvisa safety notices; COFEPRIS public communications. See Primary Sources section.
| Product (brand) | Active ingredient | Records in core dataset | Jurisdictions represented |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ozempic | Semaglutide | 25+ | US, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, France, Netherlands, Turkey, Singapore |
| Mounjaro | Tirzepatide | 1 | United Kingdom |
| Rybelsus | Semaglutide (oral) | 1 | United Kingdom |
| Victoza | Liraglutide | 1 (in multi-brand notice) | United Kingdom |
| Saxenda | Liraglutide | 1 (in multi-brand notice) | United Kingdom |
| Unbranded semaglutide products | Claimed semaglutide | Included in total | Multiple |
Source: The RX Index Editorial Team review of primary regulator notices, dataset v1.1.0.
Eight of the 32 core notices disclosed a composition finding. The remaining 24 did not publish what was found inside the falsified product, either because testing was not performed, results were not published, or the investigation was ongoing at last verification. The table below covers only the cases where a composition or harm finding was published.
| Jurisdiction | Authority | Product | Published contents (tested finding) | Documented harm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | MHRA | Ozempic 1 mg/1.5 mL | No semaglutide detected (selected units) | Not stated in notice |
| Germany | BfArM | Ozempic | Insulin (semaglutide absent or not detected) | Not stated in notice. Composition established; no patient outcome published. |
| Switzerland | Swissmedic | Ozempic | Insulin glulisine (semaglutide absent) | Acute hypoglycemia; hospitalization |
| Switzerland | Swissmedic | Semaglutide product | Not published at last verification | Hypoglycemic shock |
| Australia | TGA | Ozempic | Insulin (not semaglutide) | Acute hypoglycemia |
| Australia | TGA | Ozempic | Not published at last verification | Life-threatening adverse event |
| Mexico | COFEPRIS | Semaglutide pen | No semaglutide detected; remaining contents not fully established | Not stated |
| United Kingdom (multiple products) | MHRA | Insulin (as an active in a falsified GLP-1 presentation) documented in notices citing UK and other EU investigations | Insulin documented | Not stated in each individual notice |
Sources: Swissmedic safety communications; BfArM safety notices; TGA safety alerts; MHRA drug alerts; COFEPRIS notices.
FDA’s counterfeit Ozempic alert began as a rolling document that was updated as new events were confirmed. The table below reflects the three dated entries in that alert as documented at last verification. This is the public-facing representation of the alert; FDA may hold investigative detail not included in the public notice.
| Event date | Summary from FDA alert | Lot published | Tested contents | Harm stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 2023 | First entry in rolling alert. Counterfeit Ozempic pens identified in the legitimate U.S. drug supply chain. | Not published | Not published | Not stated |
| Dec 21, 2023 | Counterfeit Ozempic pens found in the legitimate U.S. drug supply chain. Lot PAR1229 cited. FDA noted PAR1229 is also a valid authentic lot number. | PAR1229 (also authentic) |
Not published | Not stated |
| Apr 14, 2025 | Additional counterfeit Ozempic identified. Rolling alert updated. | Not published in public notice | Not published | Not stated |
| Dec 5, 2025 | Counterfeit Ozempic found distributed outside Novo Nordisk’s authorized supply chain. | Not published in public notice | Not published | Not stated |
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, MedWatch safety alert: “FDA Alerts Patients and Health Care Professionals about Counterfeit Ozempic (Semaglutide) Found in the United States,” updated through July 2026. fda.gov
The European pharmacovigilance system EudraVigilance contains 234 spontaneous adverse-event reports coded as involving potential counterfeit or tampered semaglutide as of the last check. These reports are not 234 analytically confirmed counterfeit products and are not added to the 32 core records. The distinction matters for interpretation.
| Dimension | 234 EudraVigilance reports | 32 core regulator notice records |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Spontaneous adverse-event reports submitted by healthcare professionals and patients | Formal public notices issued by drug regulatory authorities |
| What triggers inclusion | Voluntary reporter coded the event as involving suspected counterfeit or tampered product | Regulator used the word counterfeit, falsified, or equivalent with a specific product or presentation |
| Analytical confirmation | Not required; based on reporter suspicion or observation | Required or implied by the authority’s formal notice |
| Can establish incidence? | No. Spontaneous reports reflect a signal, not a count of confirmed events. | No. They count disclosed regulatory actions, not all events that occurred. |
| Can these numbers be added? | No. They measure different things. Adding them would inflate an already uncertain count. | |
Source: EMA EudraVigilance database query for semaglutide adverse events coded as potential counterfeit or tampered product, checked July 2026.
The core inclusion rule is intentionally narrow. It distinguishes between a formal determination by a drug regulator and secondary signals, market warnings, or reports that do not rise to the level of a confirmed or formally suspected dedicated notice.
| Category | Included in core count? | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated regulator notice using “counterfeit,” “falsified,” or jurisdictional equivalent, with a specific product or presentation identified | Yes | Primary rule. This is the minimum bar for a core record. |
| Dedicated notices where the authority described the event as “suspected” without analytical or investigative confirmation | Tracked separately (2 records) | Provides useful context but does not meet the confirmed or falsified bar. Added to the all-records download only. |
| General market advisory or shortage exploitation warning without a specific identified product | No | These warn of risk, not a specific confirmed incident. Including them would conflate risk warnings with documented events. |
| Spontaneous adverse-event reports (EudraVigilance, FDA FAERS, etc.) | No | Voluntary reports are signals, not confirmed regulatory determinations. The 234 EudraVigilance reports are tracked but not added to the 32. |
| News articles, social media, or healthcare-provider reports without a corresponding regulator notice | No | Not independently verifiable against a primary regulatory source. |
| Unapproved or unregistered GLP-1 products (lacking marketing authorization but not explicitly identified as falsified by a regulator) | No | An unlicensed product is not automatically falsified. These are a separate category tracked elsewhere. |
| Compounded GLP-1 products under jurisdiction-specific compounding rules | No | Compounding is a legally distinct category. A compounded product is not a falsified branded medicine unless a regulator specifically makes that determination. |
Source: The RX Index Editorial Team, dataset methodology v1.1.0.
The full structured dataset is available in three formats below. The core CSV contains only the 32 records meeting the confirmed or falsified inclusion rule. The all-records CSV adds the two suspected-event notices. The JSON file includes the methodology narrative, the exclusion log, and the claim ledger cross-referencing each data point to its primary source.
All files are offered under an open-access, free-to-use basis. Attribution is appreciated but not required for non-commercial research and journalism. Commercial redistribution requires written permission from The RX Index.
Primary sources are the official websites of drug regulatory authorities in each covered jurisdiction. No secondary reporting was used as a primary source.
A notice enters the core count only if the issuing authority used “counterfeit,” “falsified,” or a local-language jurisdictional equivalent with a specific product or presentation identified in that notice.
When two authorities issued notices about the same physical event, the records are deduplicated and the cross-reference is noted in the JSON claim ledger.
Records are classified as Confirmed (authority made a definitive finding), Falsified (authority used the specific WHO/EU falsified-medicine language), or Suspected (authority flagged without analytical confirmation). Only the first two enter the core count.
These fields record only what the authority published. “Not published at last verification” means the field was absent from the public notice, not that testing was not performed.
The dataset is versioned using semantic versioning. Version 1.1.0 was verified on August 1, 2026. The full change history is recorded in the JSON metadata block.
Page citation
Dataset citation (v1.1.0)