Prescription weight-loss drugs have become so popular in the United States that suppliers are struggling to keep up with supply. Jean Reddy, a retired teacher from Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, said: 1 in 8 Americans, GLP-1 drugs Weight loss and diabetes medications are commonly known by the following brand names: Ozempic and Wegovy.
Reddy, who has struggled with her weight for much of her life, told CBS News that it has affected her self-esteem and the way she navigates the world.
“I didn’t like going out,” Reddy admitted.
Her weight peaked last October, just before her son was due to get married.
“I was embarrassed for him and I was embarrassed for myself,” Reddy said.
Now she’s part of a growing number of Relying on compounded medicines: An over-the-counter version that the FDA has authorized for distribution to pharmacies Continuing shortages Of brand name pharmaceuticals.
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Reddy’s decision to switch from brand-name drugs to compounded medications was driven by price and availability. $1,200 per month for the brand-name drug Zepbound It’s not sustainable and is becoming impossible to find, she said.
And she is not alone.
Reddy turned to online communities where thousands of people shared information and found places to get missing medications. On Reddit forums, she read about side effects, learned about alternatives and eventually found a spreadsheet that listed dozens of telehealth providers offering prescription weight-loss medications. After weighing the risks and calling dozens of pharmacies, she finally found one that would prescribe tirzepatide injections, the same active ingredient in Zepbound. Reddy now pays $399 a month for the compounded medication.
CBS News identified more than 100 companies advertising access to tirzepatide and semaglutide, the active ingredients in brand-name GLP-1 drugs that regulate insulin and suppress appetite.
LegitScript, an organization that monitors and certifies online businesses, said it has seen a 94% increase in companies applying for health care certification since 2023. More than half of recent applicants focused on weight loss on their websites.
However, compounded drugs are not reviewed by the FDA for effectiveness and safety.
“It’s not being thoroughly monitored,” Dr. Celine Gunder, medical correspondent for CBS News, told CNN. “The quality and risk varies widely.”
The researchers Ordered and tested Some formulations of semaglutide were found to be contaminated or to contain more of the active ingredient than advertised.
Compounded drugs are usually sold in needles and vials rather than pre-filled pens like brand-name drugs. This can make them difficult to administer and Possible dosing errorThe FDA issued the following warning: Administering the correct dosage Drugs and the risks of their use Combination semaglutide.
Yet many of the telemedicine companies advertising combination weight-loss drugs market them as identical or “generic” versions of brand-name drugs. Nearly a quarter of the websites identified by CBS News did not disclose that the drugs they were advertising were combination drugs.
There are no generic versions of FDA-approved brand-name weight loss drugs because the drug companies still hold the patents on the drugs. Some drug companies falsely claim that their drugs are FDA-approved. Some are available to buy directly without a prescription.
The FDA is working closely with drug companies and may restrict manufacturing of compounded drugs as more versions of approved drugs come off the shortage list.
Eli Lilly said last month it was slashing the price of the lowest dose of its drug, Zepbound, to about $400 a month, and it also launched its own telemedicine company, LillyDirect.
Reddy, who has lost more than 50 pounds, said he plans to continue using the compounded medication.
“We’re really worried that this drug will be taken away,” she said. “We think it’s a miracle drug.”
