A pharmacist displays a box of Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic, an injectable semaglutide drug used to treat type 2 diabetes, at Rock Canyon Pharmacy in Provo, Utah, USA on March 29, 2023.
George Frey | Reuters
Novo Nordisk will distribute Ozempic starter kits in Europe and reduce supply of Victoza, another diabetes drug, to prioritize production of Ozempic, where demand is surging from people using the drug for weight loss. It is expected to be.
Ozempic contains semaglutide, an ingredient in Novo’s highly popular anti-obesity drug Wigovy. Ozempic has not been officially approved as an obesity drug, but that hasn’t dampened demand.
The Danish drugmaker will “temporarily reduce the supply of Victoza” to increase supply of Ozempic, according to a memo from Novo and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to medical professionals.
Intermittent Ozempic shortages are expected throughout 2024, while Victoza shortages are expected to last until at least the second quarter of 2024, according to a statement on EMA’s website.
Mr Novo warned that both shortages would “worse” during the remainder of the year.
Both Victoza and Ozempic are injectables based on the GLP-1 receptor agonist substance class, but only the latter is associated with significant weight loss and appetite suppression, in addition to modulating insulin production.
The active ingredient in Victoza is known as liraglutide.
“No new patients should begin administering Victoza until at least the second quarter of 2024, when supplies are expected to normalize,” Novo urged doctors in the memo.
We will also be limiting the supply of the 0.25mg starting dose of Ozempic to prioritize patients on weekly treatment over incoming new patients, but this will manage demand for Wigoby far exceeding supply. This is a strategy that Novo has already adopted in the United States.
In order to manage side effects and get the body used to the intestinal hormones, both Ozempic and Wigovy are initially administered in low doses and the concentration of active ingredient per injection is increased over several months in a process known as dose escalation. We will continue to increase our
“During the period of supply shortage, it is recommended to limit the admission of new patients (at Ozempic) until the supply situation improves, which is expected in the first quarter of 2024,” Novo said.
It also directed doctors to consider other injectable GLP-1 drugs and “other suitable alternatives” if Ozempic or Victoza are not available to patients.
In a sign of the scramble for Ozempic in Europe, Germany’s drug regulator is considering banning the drug’s exports, a move that other EU countries such as France and Austria have already taken.
Several countries, including the UK, Belgium and Germany, have temporarily banned or strongly recommended use for weight loss to ensure availability for diabetics, but enforcement has proven difficult. ing.
Novo’s launch of Wegovy in the UK, Germany, Norway and Denmark has so far done little to dampen enthusiasm for Ozempic in Europe, as production bottlenecks have limited Wegovy volumes.
Novo, which is spending $6 billion to boost production in Denmark, said earlier this month that the industry is far from producing enough weight-loss drugs to meet global demand.
Eli Lilly’s drug tirzepatide (also known as Munjaro) has shown even greater weight-loss potential in trials than Wigovy, but the medium-term supply outlook for the drug in Europe remains uncertain.
The EU’s medicines regulator has recommended approval, but a final decision from the EU Commission is still pending.
