With demand for injectable weight-loss medicines continuing to surge, experts are warning that not all products marketed as semaglutide offer the same assurances around quality, safety and regulatory oversight.

Cindi Benjamin, Pharmacovigilance and Compliance Pharmacist at Pharma Dynamics, says patients should exercise caution when obtaining weight-loss injections, particularly from social media, online sellers or informal channels.

For patients, the key consideration is whether a medicine has been reviewed by the appropriate authorities and is prescribed, dispensed and monitored through recognised healthcare channels.

Few medicines have generated as much public interest in recent years as semaglutide.

Originally developed to help people with Type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar, it has also gained attention for its role in weight management.

While demand continues to grow, there are currently no registered generic semaglutide products on the South African market.

This landscape is expected to change soon. Many pharmaceutical companies are expected to enter the market in due course, which should further expand patient access to registered, quality-assured medicines.

For patients, the most important step is to speak to their healthcare professional about an appropriate SAHPRA-registered treatment option, rather than relying on unverified products or informal channels.

Safety concerns

While semaglutide itself has been extensively studied and approved for specific medical uses, experts say the real concern lies in where the product comes from, whether regulators have properly assessed it, and how it is being used.

Like all medicines, semaglutide can have side effects and should be used under the guidance of a healthcare professional.

“Patients may assume that all products marketed as semaglutide are equivalent, but that is simply not the case. A SAHPRA-approved medicine has undergone extensive evaluation for quality and efficacy.

“With unregistered products, there may be uncertainty around ingredients, sterility, potency, storage conditions and dose accuracy.

“These are particularly important considerations for injectable medicines.”Before a semaglutide medicine can be approved by SAHPRA, manufacturers must submit evidence relating to quality and efficacy.

“This includes information on the active ingredient, manufacturing process and manufacturing site, quality controls, stability, labelling, dosing and clinical data. For injectable medicines, sterility, purity, dose consistency and cold-chain integrity are also carefully assessed.

Advice for consumers

Only use semaglutide that is prescribed and dispensed by a healthcare professional.

Confirm with your pharmacist that the product is SAHPRA-registered.

Avoid products sold via social media or unverified online platforms.