Ozempic Underworld — The Black Market Of Obesity Drugs

A CNBC investigation finds that Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy as well as other wildly popular obesity drugs are being actively counterfeited and illegally diverted from other countries in open marketplaces online and shipped at cut rate prices to the U.S. We uncover one such company that appears to be based in Colorado, but is really operating from China, as we tracked down the location, shipping Ozempic from the Chinese market to the U.S. CNBC goes inside this shadowy world from New York to outside London to Turkey and China, interviewing government officials as well as Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, which manufacturers Mounjaro and Zepbound. Ozempic pens seized in the UK were filled with insulin, which could be fatal. Inside the international mail facility at JFK airport in Jamaica, N.Y., U.S. Customs officers seize counterfeit and Ozempic diverted from overseas and other weight loss drugs with the numbers doubling over the past year. Both pharmaceutical companies say they are alarmed by the black market, warning it’s putting patients at risk. Correspondent: Melissa Lee Senior Investigative Producer: Scott Zamost Correspondent: Eunice Yoon Editor: David Lettieri Animation: Michael Schwartz Researcher: Charlie Roth Camera: Oscar Molina, Marco Mastrorilli, Gerard Miller, David Grogan, Leroy Jackson, Alex Herrera, Van Applegate, Robert Badendieck, Baris Kilinc, Armando Gallardo, Michael Green, Gary Levens Audio: Everett Wong, Gary Wahlgren, Juan Rocha