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Novo Nordisk says it was able to gain an upper hand over some of the supply issues that disrupted the launch of its obesity drug Wegovy last year. However, demand remains uncertain, and we are gradually resuming sales while closely monitoring supply.
The Danish pharmaceutical company said all dosage strengths of Wegovy are now available in retail pharmacies across the country. This comes after the company faced supply constraints for its weight loss drug due to unexpectedly high product demand and short-term manufacturing issues.
In its third-quarter earnings call, the company pledged to restock the U.S. market by the end of 2022 and resume commercial launch activities that were put on hold last March. In fact, a Novo spokesperson confirmed that his commercial Wegovy reboot is “expected to launch in the coming months.”
But rather than go full speed ahead, the pharma giant is taking a step-by-step approach.
A spokesperson said, “We will closely monitor prescription trends and roll out promotions in stages as we assess demand.” A Novo spokeswoman said overall demand was “still uncertain.” “Maintaining a steady supply is a priority.”
Pharmaceutical company said pharmacies still ‘may have a normal experience’ [Wegovy] The time required to order products from our local fulfillment center, as well as delays due to geographical variations.
Diabetes-related Med Ozempic, which was also hit by a supply crisis, has only partially recovered. Novo “experienced intermittent supply disruptions” for certain doses of his Ozempic (0.25 mg and 0.5 mg doses) “due to a combination of incredible demand and overall global supply constraints.” I am doing,” he said.
The brand’s social media popularity last year Elon Musk and other celebrities have talked about the benefits of weight loss. Both drugs were in short supply nationwide as Wegovy began to run out.
In disclosing Ozempic’s shortages, the company acknowledged that off-label use of diabetes injections for weight loss played a role in exacerbating supply problems, the Food and Drug Administration reported in August.
Wegovy and Ozempic have the same active ingredient, semaglutide, but differ in dosage and FDA-approved uses. Wegovy, a weekly self-injector pen, was approved by the FDA for the treatment of obesity in 2021. Clinical trials have shown that patients lose an average of 15% of their weight, well above her 5% range for many older people. Loss medicine.
Wegovy is only recommended for obese or overweight people with weight-related comorbidities such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol. Ozempic said in 2017 he was approved for use in treating type 2 diabetes and is marketed as such, but weight loss is cited as a “secondary effect.”
Both are members of the glucagon-like peptide 1 agonist (GLP-1) class of drugs. These gut hormones also help increase satiety and control blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Neither drug is designed for people who want to lose weight from time to time.
Novo declined to comment on specific marketing plans, but one aspect of its outreach, an unbranded marketing campaign with Queen Latifah designed to break the stigma of obesity, is underway. said it is.
Obesity remains largely untreated. This is due to the popular belief that obesity is due to the patient’s own dietary and exercise failures, even though the American Medical Association declared obesity a disease ten years ago. Safety issues associated with older therapies and low efficacy were also contributing factors.
Wegovy’s relaunch is just one of the factors that analysts expect the US obesity market to grow significantly over the next few years. A recent report by Morgan Stanley analysts said he expects global revenue from obesity drugs to reach $54 billion by 2030. This is up from her $2.4 billion in 2022.
Novo and Eli Lilly, whose similar GLP-1 drug Mounjaro (tirzepatide) was approved in diabetes last year and received Fast Track designation for a reduced-weight version of the drug in October, have a 40% share of this final top 12. Earn. therapeutic category, analysts predict.
Tilzepatide helped obese people lose 22.5% of their body weight in a Lilly study. This is a result comparable to the effectiveness of bariatric surgery. Meanwhile, doctors report that Munjaro has been prescribed off-label for weight loss as well, and supplies are in short supply.
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