All doses of Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster diabetes and obesity treatments are listed as available on the Food and Drug Administration’s drug shortage list as of Wednesday, raising the possibility that the medications could soon be taken off the list entirely, a development that could affect compounding pharmacies and patients relying on compounded drugs.
Semaglutide, the scientific name for Novo’s GLP-1 diabetes drug Ozempic and obesity drug Wegovy, has been on the shortage list for over two years, with different doses being listed in shortage at various times. With all doses now listed as available, the FDA may soon pull it off the list, depending on its conversations with Novo about whether the company can sufficiently meet demand going forward.
FDA spokesperson Amanda Hills said the agency is currently trying to determine whether the demand for semaglutide exceeds supply. The “available” description does not mean the drug is no longer in shortage.
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