Denmark-based pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk (CPH:NOVO-B) announced on Tuesday the filing of 14 new lawsuits aimed at safeguarding patients from what it says are unsafe and unapproved compounded drugs claiming to contain 'semaglutide.'

The company claims that defendants named in these lawsuits employ tactics that deceive patients into believing compounded products have been reviewed and approved by FDA or have equivalent safety or effectiveness as Novo Nordisk's approved semaglutide medicines. The lawsuits allege that telehealth providers violate state corporate practice of medicine laws by improperly influencing doctors' decisions and steering patients toward knockoff compounded 'semaglutide' under the false guise of personalised medicine.

To date, Novo Nordisk has filed 132 complaints in federal courts across 40 states.