Novo rations Ozempic starter kits in Europe amid surge in use for weight loss
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Novo Nordisk will ration starter kits of Ozempic in Europe and reduce supplies of another diabetes drug, Victoza, to prioritize producing Ozempic, which has seen a surge in demand from people using it to lose weight.
Novo Nordisk will ration starter kits of Ozempic in Europe and reduce supplies of another diabetes drug, Victoza, to prioritize producing Ozempic, which has seen a surge in demand from people using it to lose weight.
Ozempic contains semaglutide, an ingredient in Novo's hugely popular anti-obesity drug Wegovy. Ozempic is not officially approved to treat obesity, but that hasn't held back demand.
According to a note to health-care professionals from Novo and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the Danish drugmaker will "temporarily reduce the supply of Victoza" in order to increase the supply of Ozempic.
Intermittent Ozempic shortages are expected throughout 2024, while Victoza shortages are expected at least until the second quarter of 2024, according to the statement on the EMA's website.
The shortage of both would "deteriorate" during the remainder of this year, Novo warned.
Both Victoza and Ozempic are injections based on the substance class of GLP-1 receptor agonists, but only the latter has been associated with considerable weight loss and suppression of appetite, in addition to regulating insulin production.
The active ingredient in Victoza is known as liraglutide.
