The US Food and Drug Administration has made a "green list" import alert to stop unapproved and unauthorised glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) drug ingredients from entering the US.
Due to shortages of the FDA-approved GLP-1 drugs that are used to treat type 2 diabetes and weight management, some patients consumed drug variants.
Notably, FDA has not compounded drugs and serious concerns regarding these drugs have been detected, including dosing errors, unapproved salt forms, and side effects that may lead to severe complications.
FDA issued a statement, which reads, "This is part of the agency's decisive steps to safeguard consumers from illegal GLP-1 active ingredients imported from overseas to ensure patient safety and a secure drug supply chain."
FDA Commissioner M.D., M.P.H, Marty Makary, stated, "Americans should be confident that the prescription drugs they take are safe."
"By strengthening oversight of imported APIs and cracking down on illegal drugs entering the U.S., we are taking aggressive action to protect consumers from poor-quality or dangerous GLP-1 drugs," Makary added.
The FDA tightened oversight on GLP-1 drug imports, launching a “green list”to inhibit unsafe ingredients and ensure patients access only safe, approved drugs through licensed pharmacies or reliable sources.