Shonky websites purporting to sell an in-demand Hollywood weight loss drug have been appearing above health warnings in Australian search engine results, as the regulator continues to crack down on the illegal sale of Ozempic.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) confirmed it was contacting search engines and social media companies about content promoting semaglutide, better known by its brand name Ozempic, as part of its ongoing investigations into scams relating to the drug.
The TGA has requested the removal of almost 1000 Ozempic advertisements or promotions from the internet.Credit:iStock
The TGA has asked Australians to be wary of businesses claiming to sell the prescription appetite suppressant injection online, amid reports of consumers both paying for the drug and never receiving the product, as well as receiving drugs which are not semaglutide.
A Google search for “buy Ozempic Australia” last week returned several sponsored results, including online stores claiming to sell the drug without prescription through bank transfer or credit card payment.
It is illegal to advertise a prescription drug in Australia.
After being alerted to the presence of the ads, a Google spokesperson confirmed they were removed.
“Google has strict policies that govern the kind of ads that we allow on our platform. When we find ads that violate our policies, we remove them,” the spokesperson said
Although the regulator said it could not comment on ongoing investigations that may result in compliance action, it confirmed it was “working with” several digital platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, eBay, Amazon and Gumtree, as well as Google and other search engines, to remove unlawful advertising and crack down on scams.
Last week, the Sun-Herald and Sunday Age revealed one online forum that purported to facilitate sale of the drug had falsified endorsements from current and retired health practitioners.
The TGA has requested the removal of almost 1000 advertisements for Ozempic appearing on social media and websites, including influencer posts, since July last year.
According to the regulator’s social media advertising guide, any “statement, pictorial representation or design that is intended, whether directly or indirectly, to promote the use or supply of the products is an advertisement”.
“When unlawful advertisements come to the TGA’s attention, we alert the particular social media platforms who typically quickly take action within their user policies,” the TGA said in a statement.
Prescriptions for Ozempic, which is registered as a Type 2 diabetes treatment in Australia, skyrocketed in early 2022 following a rise in doctors prescribing the drug for weight loss, a use it is registered for in the US.
The rise in these “off-label” prescriptions, which are a legitimate way for GPs to prescribe medications for uses other than their registered use in Australia, led to a national shortage and people with diabetes reporting they were unable to access the drug.
The TGA announced last month it was working with Ozempic’s manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, and wholesalers to fairly distribute a new supply of the drug which arrived early this year.
It said supply was set to return gradually over the next few months but it “strongly recommended” the drug continue to be prioritised for people with Type 2 diabetes.
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