With high demand and high prices, thieves aim for weight loss drugs and pharmacies reduce inventory
TO Pharmacies of San Paolo have become frequent targets of robber looking for medicines for weight loss, such as Ozempic, Wegovy AND Saxenda. According to the report of the EstadãoThe theft of these medicines has fired in recent months, guided by the high demand and the clandestine market that facilitates their resale.
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According to the newspaper, St. Paul has become one of the thefts of the epicenter world, these medicines, mainly due to the high concentration of pharmacies that maintain products in stock to serve higher class consumers. The thieves, in turn, quickly find buyers through social networks, such as WhatsApp and Facebook.
Iqvia underlines that Ozepix sales increased from R $ 27.5 million in 2019 to 621.6 million dollars in 2023. Currently, the drug is marketed for a value between $ 900 and 1,300 R $ and services.
Rodrigo Lima, with two decades of experience in the Ultrafarma pharmacy and in the director of operations, reports that the high price of Ozeimpix “has triggered a huge demand for these articles, leading to the formation of eye bands specialized in this market”.
The violence and frequency of attacks have led many pharmacies to strengthen safety. Some networks have started to maintain armed surveillance at the shop door, while independent pharmacies have chosen to remove medicines from the stock. “Those who have Ozepic in the warehouse cannot work in peace,” said Wilson Martins, a pharmacy director west of the city.
The bands are not limited to pharmacies. There are registers of the theft of trucks that bring drugs, which often involve employees of transport companies.
According to the data of Anvisa, over 8,000 ozepic pens were stolen or lost in 2024, almost double the one recorded the previous year.
The growth of the clandestine market of these medicines is directly linked to the increase in obesity in Brazil. The percentage of obese adults in large cities rose to 24% in 2023, the one recorded in 2006, according to the Ministry of Health.
Ozempic’s dissemination has been led by celebrities and influencers, who show expressive weight losses on social networks. The appreciation of aesthetics and the difficulty of accessing medicine with legal means have intensified thefts. “The theft wave began when social networks have started to speak openly about drugs,” explained Renata Gonçalves, president of a pharmacist union of San Paolo.
Faced with the escalation of the crimes, some pharmaceutical networks bet on the reduction of the inventory and the most sophisticated safety systems. However, experts underline that the final solution can derive from the breakdown of the Novo Nordisk patent, producer of Ozempic, scheduled for 2026.
The arrival of the generics on the market is expected to drastically reduce the value of the drug, reducing the incentive to theft and clandestine trade.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
