A woman who was illegally sold a weight loss drug on social media told the BBC she ended up in A&E vomiting blood. Maddy, 32, fell seriously ill after using an unlicensed version of semaglutide - the active ingredient in Ozempic - from Instagram. A BBC investigation found unregulated sellers offering semaglutide as a medicine, without prescription, online.
Demand for Ozempic, a prescribed type 2 diabetes medication, spiralled last year after it hit the headlines for being Hollywood's secret weight loss drug - nicknamed the skinny jab.Its soaring popularity led to a rise in off-label prescriptions for weight loss, which triggered global supply issues and created a shortage for diabetes patients in the UK. As pharmacies across the UK struggled to get hold of the medication, an illicit black market selling semaglutide "diet kits" began to flourish online.Delivered by post, these usually contain needles and two vials - one containing a white powder and the other a liquid - which have to be mixed together before the drug can be injecte