The FDA has announced the end of the shortage for semaglutide, the active ingredient in popular medications Ozempic and Wegovy, which had been on the shortage list since March 2022. This change affects a burgeoning market of compounded alternatives, typically offered at significantly lower prices. The FDA's decisions provide deadlines for different types of compounding pharmacies to cease producing these versions. The move could spark pushback from the compounding industry, which grew in response to the original drug's scarcity, raising questions about the future supply landscape and regulatory tensions.
At the end of October, the FDA changed the status of all dosages of Ozempic and Wegovy to 'available,' signaling that the end of the official shortage was likely in sight.
The FDA is giving '503A' compounders, typically state-licensed pharmacies or physician compounders that run smaller operations, until April 22 to cease producing the drug.
Drug compounding is a well-established practice; pharmacists are permitted to make copies of medications when there's a drug shortage.
The lucrative industry of telehealth companies, medical spas, and pharmacies making and selling 'compounded' copies of the medications has arisen in the interim.
Collection
[
|
...
]