Ozempic for weight loss hype causing shortages for diabetic patients that need drug

Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two-part series about the shortage of the popular drug, Ozempic for those suffering from diabetes.

Libby Stouffer of Matteson started taking Ozempic for her Type 2 diabetes two year ago.

“My endocrinologist thought it would be good for my blood sugar and A1c and help me lose weight,” Stouffer said.

The A1c is a blood test that measures a person’s average blood glucose levels of the past three months. A result of 6.5 means a person has diabetes. Stouffer’s was 10 when she was diagnosed, she said.

Stouffer said Ozempic helped keep her A1c under 7, her endocrinologist’s target for her. The problem is she can’t find it anywhere.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she said.

The American Society of Health System Pharmacists confirmed the shortage of Ozempic on its website and said Novo Nordisk, which produces the medication, “is working to resolve the issue by early 2023.”

What is Ozempic - and why all the hype?

Dr. Nuzhat Chalisa, a board-certified endocrinologist with the Morris Hospital Endocrinology Specialists, said Ozempic is a weekly injectable medication that is used extensively in patients with type 2 diabetes to help improve blood glucose levels.

Ozempic belongs to a class of medications called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Ozempic helps control blood sugar in three ways, according to the Ozempic website. When blood sugars spike, Ozempic helps the pancreas produce more insulin. It also prevents the liver from making and releasing too much glucose and slows the rate by which food leaves the stomach.

Chalisa said the active ingredient in Ozempic is semaglutide. She said Ozempic is not used for weight loss, although people with diabetes may lose a modest amount of weight while taking Ozempic, she said.

Semaglutide also is the active ingredient in Wegovy at a higher dose, Chalisa said. Wegovy is intended for weight loss, Chalisa said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Wegovy injection for “chronic weight management” in 2021, according to the FDA website.

Wegovy is for use in adults with obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related condition (such as high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol),” according to the FDA.

Adults using Wegovy should also be reducing their calories and increasing their physical activity, according to the FDA.

Chalisa said the popularity of Wegovy is what initially spurred a shortage in Ozempic.

“So people started using Ozempic for off-label weight loss,” Chalisa said.

Chalisa said “social media hype” by “high profile figures” using Ozempic for weight loss contributed to Ozempic’s off-label use and intensified the shortage for people who need the medication to manage their Type 2 diabetes, further contributing to the shortage.

According to Novo Nordisk’s website Dec. 28, 2022, Wegovy is now available in dose strengths to all pharmacies in the U.S. – although pharmacies may still experience “normal delays” when ordering it.

That isn’t helpful for Stouffer, who needs the medicine now. Her endocrinologist wanted to switch Stouffer to the Mounjaro injection, Stouffer said, which is made Lilly USA.

Shortages of alternatives, too

According to the FDA, Mounjaro is a “first-in-class medicine that activates both the GLP-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) hormone receptors,” which can lead to more effective insulin control. The active ingredient is tirzepatide, according to the FDA.

Unfortunately, there’s also a shortage of Mounjaro, according to the ASHP.

Stouffer said she’s reached out to several pharmacies regarding Ozempic and had no luck.

“They said they don’t know when they going to get it in,” Stouffer said.

Stouffer said she does take other medications for her diabetes in addition to the Ozempic. She also uses one injection, Victoza (liraglutide), in case she needs it. This is an older medication that is similar to Ozempic, she said.

Chalisa said doctors can prescribe other medicines in the GLP-1 agonists class to control diabetes until the Ozempic shortage resolves.

But Stouffer said Ozempic works best for her.

“Without this medication, my blood sugar gets really, really high,” Stouffer said. “So this medication is able to give me really big peace of mind with my blood sugar levels.”

Stouffer said she did lose a little weight on the Ozempic – her weight dropped from 325 pounds to 276 – but that isn’t why she takes it. And she hopes it’s available soon.

“It’s really important that people with medical conditions get the prescriptions they need,” Stouffer said. “They should be able to get prescriptions from their doctor and then go to the pharmacy and get them filled.”