“Oprah Winfrey is on Ozempic” headlines the news, along with a multitude of other celebrities who have come out to speak about their journey using Ozempic for weight loss. Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, and other semaglutide injections are currently facing a dramatic increase in demand. Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical giant, has just announced a $6 billion investment to increase its production of Ozempic and Wegovy amidst the shortages. 1

Pharmacies across the nation, along with Novo Nordisk, are expecting continued limited availability of the smaller doses of Wegovy and Ozempic, ranging from 0.25 mg to 1 mg. However, with Novo Nordisk’s investment in ramping up production, the company now has enough capacity to start 25,000 new patients on Wegovy every week. Despite this progress in combating the shortage of semaglutide injections, the FDA does not expect the shortage to end soon, as the demand for weight-loss drugs continues to skyrocket in popularity.

However, as much as pharmacists are bearing the brunt of the shortage, patients who desperately need the medication for their diabetes face increased health risks. 3 Semaglutide acts to enhance insulin release, suppress glucagon, and slow gastric emptying. By doing so, it controls blood sugar levels and helps promote weight loss, which is extremely effective for managing type 2 diabetes. Patients have even noticed that when prescribed semaglutide injections, “food noise” goes away. 4 But when their medication becomes unavailable, anxiety about returning to previous distractions increases.

This is not the only fear or risk for diabetic patients; GLP-1 is known to be an atypical choice for diabetes management. 3 It is often prescribed alongside many other medications that a patient is initially placed on. It typically requires an investment of time and money for a patient and their prescriber to decide to include GLP-1 in a management plan. Thus, for those reliant on the medication, positive bodily responses significantly impact the control of their HbA1C levels. As this medication reduces the risk of hospitalization and complications for diabetic patients and instead improves their outcomes, the shortage of semaglutide injections increases patients’ health risks.

While patients may switch to alternative options, this is often viewed as a “step backward,” as alternatives can be less effective and may even have negative side effects. For patients who have found the right plan with their doctors, shortages can potentially derail management strategies already in place. Shortages pose a health risk and threaten medication sales and patient financial outcomes. 2 Since the start of the shortage, illegal online sales have increased as many people seek to profit from the sudden increased demand and reduced availability. Online pharmacies advertise purchasing semaglutide injections without a prescription. Some organizations create non-delivery schemes for the sale of semaglutide drugs, swindling patients’ money. Others create fake products that pose further health risks, causing hospitalizations for seizures and low blood sugar.

What does this mean for the biopharma giants and the future? An increased demand for medication due to an online craze fueled by social media success stories involving celebrities may sound like the first of its kind, but with the daily increased use of social media, it definitely will not be the last. Ozempic’s marketing as the solution to the obesity epidemic attracts starstruck attention as it gets featured on Dr. Oz and is promoted by celebrities like Tracy Morgan. 5

Biopharma giants may be expanding to keep up with demand, but as the demand continues to skyrocket, biopharma companies are further pitted against one another. 2 Novo Nordisk, producers of Ozempic and Wegovy, face competition from Eli Lilly. Projections have shown that Mounjaro will become the leading GLP-1 therapy for diabetes in the coming years. Although biopharma giants profit from the insane demands of patients, companies like Novo Nordisk scramble to secure supply chains to meet increased production and cement their position in this attractive market. Despite increased production and funding to expand, shortages are expected to persist beyond 2024. 5 Thus, patients and pharmacies will continue to face many of the issues mentioned above. Even if the medication is produced, there are middleman issues, such as a shortage of pens.

However, there is hope that the large demand in the market will drive the prices for semaglutide injections lower than before, which was always a prevalent issue for patients even before the surge.