Ozempic’s popularity leads to shortages for people with Type 2 diabetes

Ozempic, a drug used to treat Type 2 diabetes, is facing a shortage due to its off-label use for weight loss, leading to concerns among diabetic patients who rely on it. Jim Cox, who has Type 2 diabetes, was unable to refill his prescription for Trulicity, a similar medication, due to the shortage. The demand for these GLP-1 drugs, including Ozempic and Mounjaro, has surged over the past 18 months, fueled by Hollywood, social media influencers, and aggressive advertising campaigns.

The telehealth company Ro created a tool to help patients report and find these medications. In its first two weeks, the tool received 35,000 shortage reports. Health economist Rena Conti from Boston University noted that the drugmakers were unprepared for the high demand despite their aggressive marketing. Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, manufacturers of Trulicity and Ozempic, have spoken out against using these drugs for cosmetic weight loss, emphasizing their primary use for diabetes management.

CVS Caremark, a pharmacy benefit manager, has implemented measures to prioritize diabetes patients, rejecting about 84% of non-diabetic requests for these drugs. However, Dr. Scott Isaacs of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology argues that there is significant overlap between patients needing these drugs for diabetes and weight loss, criticizing what he calls “obesity discrimination” at the pharmacy counter. Drugmakers are ramping up production, but it remains unclear when the shortages will be resolved.

Source: NPR