In this article, all doses of Novo Nordisk’s highly popular weight loss injection Wegovy and diabetes drug Ozempic are now available in the U.S., as per an update on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s drug shortage database on Wednesday. This development indicates that Novo Nordisk’s efforts to increase the supply of these weekly drugs are beginning to yield results, given the rising demand in the U.S.
Previously, a shortage was reported for the lowest dose of Wegovy, which is 25 milligrams. Various doses of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic, have been on the FDA’s shortage list since early 2022. The recent update suggests that the FDA may potentially remove these popular injections from the shortage list entirely, which could prevent compounding pharmacies from producing customized and often more affordable versions of these branded drugs.
Novo Nordisk stated that all doses of Wegovy and Ozempic are now being regularly shipped to wholesalers. The Danish pharmaceutical company attributed the FDA’s update to its significant investment in expanding manufacturing capacity and ongoing communication with the agency. However, Novo Nordisk acknowledged that patients may not always be able to immediately fill their prescriptions at a specific pharmacy, even if the medication is listed as available.
Novo Nordisk emphasized that their deliberate approach to gradually increasing supply in the U.S. market is proving effective. They expressed their commitment to prioritizing patient care continuity, closely monitoring market dynamics and prescribing trends in the process. This update follows Novo Nordisk’s request to the FDA the previous week to prevent compounding pharmacies from producing unapproved versions of Wegovy and Ozempic, citing the complexity of these medications as a safety concern for such manufacturers.
Earlier this month, the FDA removed tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug Zepbound and diabetes treatment Mounjaro, from its shortage list. However, a trade group representing some compounders filed a lawsuit against the FDA, prompting the agency to announce a reconsideration of its decision to remove tirzepatide from the shortage list.
