Two Charged In Scheme To Sell Counterfeit Ozempic — How You Can Spot Fake Meds

Key TakeawaysTwo people face federal charges for allegedly smuggling counterfeit Ozempic from China and selling it to U.S. distributorsProsecutors say the pair kept selling fakes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration started to warn the publicPatients should buy Ozempic only from state-licensed pharmacies and check pens for mismatched labels or packaging.WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Federal prosecutors have charged two people in an alleged scheme to bring fake versions of the type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic from China and sell them to U.S. distributors.Swapnadip Roy, 33, and Vicky Ramancha, 37, are both Indian citizens. They face federal conspiracy and smuggling charges, the U.S. Department of Justice and federal prosecutors in Florida announced Tuesday.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations helped with the case, the agency said in a news release.Court documents allege that between July 2023 and April 2024, the pair bought fake Ozempic from unapproved suppliers in China. The fakes came with phony boxes, pen labels, needles and package inserts (the printed instruction sheets that come with a medicine). All were designed to fool pharmacies and patients into thinking they had the real product.The counterfeit pens were then resold to U.S. distributors at steep discounts.The FDA first warned the public about counterfeit Ozempic in December 2023, after seizing thousands of units. The indictment alleges the two kept selling the fakes even after that seizure and warning.An indictment is only an accusation, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.Fake medicines may hold the wrong ingredient, too much or too little of the active drug or none at all, the FDA warns. In its 2023 alert, the agency also said needles in seized pens were counterfeit, so there was no way to confirm they were sterile. That raises the risk of infection.Counterfeits have surfaced since the period covered by the indictment. In December 2025, the FDA warned about fake Ozempic 1-milligram pens labeled with lot number PAR1229. That's also a real lot number, which makes the fakes harder to catch.Here's how to tell them apart: On the fake pens, the "EXP/LOT" text sits to the left of the date and lot code. On real pens, that text appears directly above them.Patients should fill Ozempic prescriptions only at state-licensed pharmacies and check every pen before using it, the FDA advises.Other warning signs of counterfeit or unsafe medications include:Experiencing new or unusual side effects after taking the medicinePackaging that looks unusual, is damaged, is in a foreign language, or has no expiration date or a past expiration dateA pharmacy that doesn’t ask for a prescription for medications that typically need oneLow prices or deep discounts that seem too good to be trueNo licensed pharmacist is available to answer questions about the medicineAnyone who thinks they have encountered counterfeit or unsafe medication should report it to the FDA.More informationVisit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for more information about counterfeit medicine.SOURCES: U.S. Food and Drug Administration statements, Sept. 29, 2026; Dec. 5, 2025; Dec. 8, 2025; Sept. 21, 2020 .What This Means For YouPatients should fill their prescriptions only at a state-licensed pharmacy, and report anything that looks off to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Two Charged In Scheme To Sell Counterfeit Ozempic — How You Can Spot Fake Meds

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