FDA crackdown on off-brand Ozempic products set to take effect, threatening supply and access for many

The supply of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss and diabetes treatment is expected to tighten this week with a federal deadline to halt the sale and production of off-brand products that many patients in the United States have come to rely on.

Starting in 2022, increased demand led to shortages of semaglutide injections sold by Novo Nordisk under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, as well as tirzepatide injections Zepbound and Mounjaro from competitor Eli Lilly. Compounding pharmacies were allowed to step in to fill supply gaps while name-brand products were in short supply, selling copycat products that used the same active ingredients but were not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration...