Diabetes Drug Ozempic Back in Supply in US After Shortage

(Reuters) – Novo Nordisk’s best-selling diabetes treatment drug Ozempic is back on the shelves in the United States after months of shortage, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website showed on Friday.

The main active ingredient in Ozempic is semaglutide, also the key ingredient in Novo’s obesity drug Wegovy, which has been seeing supply shortage due to high demand.

The company said the 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg and the 1 mg doses of Ozempic are available for patients. The 2 mg dose, however, has limited availability until the end of this month, largely due to the demand coupled with overall global supply constraints.

“While product continues to be manufactured and shipped, patients in some areas of the country will experience delays with the 2mg dose,” Novo Nordisk said.

In February, the company had warned of supply constraints this year on Ozempic. The drug recorded sales of 59.75 billion Danish crowns ($8.56 billion) in 2022.

Ozempic’s demand was also seen to be partly driven by prescriptions to non-diabetic patients seeking to lose weight, which is outside the drug’s approved indication.

($1 = 6.9785 Danish crowns)

(Reporting by Khushi Mandowara and Raghav Mahobe in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)

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