Wegovy Shortage: Drug Maker Limits Distribution—Here’s When Supplies Should Improve

Topline

Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of weight-loss drug Wegovy, announced Thursday it was limiting the supply of the medication’s starter doses as a response to the drug’s growing demand, but research shows patients who stop taking the medication typically regain the weight back.

Key Facts

Big Number

69.9%. That’s how many Americans are either overweight or obese, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.

Effectiveness When Stopped

A New England Journal of Medicine study found those who took semaglutide for 68 weeks saw an average change of body weight of 14.9% compared to a 2.4% change in the placebo group. However, research has shown when patients stop taking GLP-1 agonists, they gain the weight back. A separate study found patients who stopped taking semaglutide saw an 11.6% regain of lost weight by week 120. Another report found patients gained two-thirds of their body weight back a year after stopping semaglutide.

Key Background

Wegovy and type two diabetes drug Ozempic are both manufactured by Novo Nordisk. Although Ozempic has only been approved for use in type two diabetics, some doctors have been prescribing it off-label for weight loss. Both Wegovy and Ozempic are known generically as semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. They work by lowering blood sugar and A1C and regulating appetite. Though they’re the same drug, Wegovy is prescribed at higher doses than Ozempic. According to GoodRx, patients on Wegovy start out at 0.25 milligrams and increase for five months until they hit the target dosage of 2.4 milligrams. Patients on Ozempic also start out at 0.25 milligrams, but they increase to 0.5 on month two and typically stay there. Both of the drug’s popularity has caused them to be placed on the FDA’s drug shortage list. Because Ozempic is used in type two diabetics, people have expressed their concern for the drug shortage. Francisco Prieto, a California-based physician, told the Los Angeles Times his patients who take Ozempic have to “call multiple pharmacies and drive around town to see if it’s in stock,” with some still not able to fill their prescriptions due to the shortage.

Wegovy/semaglutide In Pop Culture

Several celebrities and popular figures have shared their thoughts on semaglutide. Tesla and Twitter CEO Elon Musk shared on Twitter that Wegovy and “fasting” was the reason for his drastic weight loss. Actress Chelsea Handler said on the Call Her Daddy podcast that she didn’t know she was taking Ozempic because her anti-aging doctor just hands prescriptions out, BuzzFeed News reports. Many people in the entertainment industry, from actors and agents to big name executives, have been privately parading semaglutide as a coveted medication, according to Variety. It’s also taken social media by storm, with the hashtags #wegovy, #ozempic and #semaglutide having 365.3 million, 922.4 million and 219.4 million views respectively. They’re filled with users sharing their experiences with drugs, before and after videos and doctors giving their opinions.

Further Reading

What To Know About Ozempic: The Diabetes Drug Becomes A Viral Weight Loss Hit (Elon Musk Boasts Using It) Creating A Shortage (Forbes)

Why You Might Not Be Able to Start Taking Wegovy (Wall Street Journal)