US says two Indian nationals indicted in counterfeit Ozempic smuggling scheme

Sept 29 (Reuters) - Two Indian ‌nationals have ​been ​indicted by a US federal grand jury for allegedly smuggling and selling counterfeit Ozempic, ‌the weight-loss drug, the Department of Justice ⁠said on Tuesday.

One of the defendants, Swapnadip Roy, pleaded ‌not guilty after being ‌extradited from Italy while the other, Vicky Ramancha, remains at large, the department said.

Between July ​2023 and April 2024, Roy and Ramancha allegedly obtained counterfeit Ozempic in China and sold it ⁠to US distributors at discounted prices, it said.

A legal representative for ​Roy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. One for Ramancha was ​not immediately available.

The counterfeit ‌medication included packaging, inserts and labels allegedly meant to convince purchasers that they ⁠were receiving authentic Ozempic, the popular weight-loss drug that can cost hundreds of dollars per month ⁠for patients.

"The scheme continued even after the FDA seized some ​of the counterfeit Ozempic in December 2023 and issued a public warning regarding the products," the Justice Department ‌said.

Roy and Ramancha were charged with smuggling and selling counterfeit drugs, conspiracy to ‌commit smuggling and to defraud the United ⁠States. They face up ‌to 71 years ​in prison if convicted.

(Reporting by Christian Martinez; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Jonathan ‌Spicer )

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