Maker of Diet Drug Wegovy Ramps Up Production to Meet Demand

THURSDAY, Feb. 2, 2023 (HealthDay News) – The wildly popular weight-loss drug Wegovy has become hard to find, but that could soon change.

Novo Nordisk, which makes the medication, said Wednesday that it has increased production to meet demand.

“We know for a fact that patients have been lined up,” CEO Lars Jorgensen said on a call with investors, NBC News reported.

Wegovy, also known as semaglutide, is a GLP-1 agonist, mimicking a hormone that cuts appetite and helps reduce food intake, NBC News reported. It costs about $1,300 a month and often isn't covered by insurance.

An off-label alternative is the type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic, which is the same medication but given in a smaller dose and approved to help regulate blood sugar levels. Novo Nordisk also makes Ozempic.

Novo Nordisk expects “pent-up demand” for Wegovy to subside over the next few months, Jorgensen said.

“We are obviously encouraged by the trend line we see, but we also do believe there will be a normalization of that," he said.

During the shortage, some Americans have gained some or all of their weight back as they’ve given up the medication, NBC News reported.

The company "looks forward" to the medication’s wider availability, said Doug Langa, head of North American operations for the Danish company.

More information

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more on semaglutide.

SOURCE: NBC News