Thousands of insulin pens stolen from a Dutch wholesaler

Thousands of insulin pens were stolen from a wholesaler in the Netherlands last week.

The pens were made by Danish drug company Novo Nordisk, which also makes the weight-loss medicine Wegovy.

The stolen pens contain insulin, not semaglutide, the active ingredient in weight-loss medicines.

Novo Nordisk says the pens could be sold through illegal channels as weight-loss injections.

Using insulin without diabetes can dangerously lower blood sugar, causing symptoms such as shaking, sweating, nausea, confusion or loss of consciousness.

In severe cases, it can be fatal, so the company says people should use medicines only with a doctor's prescription and avoid buying them through illegal channels.

Police are investigating the theft, and Novo Nordisk says it has taken steps to prevent another one.