On June 21st, Glon Hui reported that the World Health Organization issued a warning on Thursday about counterfeit drugs claiming to contain the active ingredients of Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug Ozempic and weight loss drug Wegovy. The surge in demand for Ozempic, Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and other GLP-1 drugs that promote weight loss has created a demand-supply gap, fueling the growth of the global counterfeiting market for pharmaceuticals. The WHO's warning concerns three batches of counterfeit semaglutide discovered in Brazil and the United Kingdom in October 2023 and in the United States in December 2023. Because semaglutide is currently expensive, the WHO does not recommend it as a diabetes treatment, but the organization says it is developing rapid guidance on the use of GLP-1 drugs in treating obesity and including it as part of a more comprehensive care model. The WHO says counterfeit drugs can be harmful, and if necessary ingredients are not present, they can cause health complications related to uncontrolled blood sugar levels or weight. Lilly and Novo Nordisk have filed lawsuits against several entities to prevent them from selling products claiming to contain the active ingredients of tirzepatide and semaglutide.