South Africas medicines regulator and pharmacy watchdog have intensified a crackdown on the unlawful manufacture and distribution of unregistered GLP-1 medicines as concerns mount over the rapid growth of the countrys largely unregulated weight loss drug market.
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority Sahpra, working alongside the South African Pharmacy Council SAPC, confirmed it has seized multiple injectable products after an inspection at iDexis Compounding, trading as Sentra Pharmacy, in Silverton, Pretoria.
The crackdown comes amid booming global demand for GLP-1 therapies a class of drugs that mimic a natural hormone in the body that regulates blood sugar levels and reduces appetite which have become one of the pharmaceutical industrys fastest-growing segments as obesity treatments reshape the healthcare market.
