South African regulators recall unlicensed Ozempic copies

South African health regulators have ordered the recall of weight‑loss medicines compounded by pharmacy group iDexis after a High Court interim order barred the company from manufacturing and selling products containing semaglutide. The recall covers semaglutide, tirzepatide and their combinations, which are active ingredients in Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy as well as Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound.

The South African Pharmacy Council, the Health Professions Council of South Africa and the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority warned that prescribing, dispensing or retaining the recalled drugs could lead to disciplinary action, including fines of 25,000 to 75,000 rand and possible removal from professional registers. The agencies are also working with the health department to revoke iDexis’s licence and have involved law‑enforcement authorities.

Novo Nordisk’s South Africa manager said the court ruling highlights the risks of unregulated compounded GLP‑1 medicines, while iDexis has not responded to comment requests.