Poor purity can cause patients to experience fever, chills, nausea, skin irritation, infections and low blood pressure.

Ozempic has recently taken social media by storm, gaining attention for its ability to induce rapid weight loss along with growing concerns about its potential side effects. Originally designed and prescribed as a treatment for Type-2 Diabetes,

WeightWatchers will begin selling compounded alternatives to certain weight-loss drugs that are experiencing shortages. Why it matters: Federal law allows companies to sell compounded versions of drugs that are on the FDA's shortages list — which has led to a surge of copycats to the newly popular class of GLP-1 injections.

Zealand Pharma CEO Adam Steensberg said Friday that the company is working on a next-generation weight loss drug that’s designed to work differently from those currently on the market and with the potential for fewer side effects.

Peptide companies' are creating knock-off versions of these drugs that have not been approved by the FDA and contain ingredients that may lack the purity of the branded medications.