Safety communication
FDA alert: counterfeit Ozempic pens detected in US supply chain
Ozempic (counterfeit) · Announced 2024-12-20 · Last reviewed May 2026
Reviewed by the glpzoom Editorial Team against primary clinical sources — FDA labeling, peer-reviewed trials, and specialty-society guidelines.
Content current as of May 2026; updated when guidance or availability changes.
The FDA issued a safety communication alerting healthcare providers and patients to counterfeit Ozempic 1 mg pens that entered the US drug-supply chain through unauthorized distributors. The counterfeit products carry fake lot number NAR0074 with expiration 06/2025 and present with several visible quality differences (pen needle shape, label print quality, packaging inserts). Novo Nordisk confirmed they did not manufacture these pens. Multiple adverse-event reports linked to the counterfeit product include intramuscular injection rather than subcutaneous (different pen needle geometry).
What's affected
- Ozempic 1 mg pens labeled with lot NAR0074 and expiration 06/2025 are counterfeit
- Distributed through unauthorized wholesale channels — primarily affected smaller independent pharmacies
- Authentic Novo Nordisk Ozempic remains safe and unaffected by the counterfeit
What patients should do
- Examine your Ozempic pen and packaging against the FDA's published authenticity guide before use
- Buy Ozempic only from authorized pharmacies; verify wholesaler chain if from an independent or online pharmacy
- If you suspect a counterfeit, do not use it — return it to the dispensing pharmacy and notify FDA MedWatch
- Report adverse events from the counterfeit to both your prescriber and FDA MedWatch