There’s No Such Thing as Generic Ozempic or Wegovy
Novo Nordisk’s new weight-loss drugs are in short supply. But the FDA is right to warn consumers away from pharmacies’ off-brand versions.
The real deal.
Photographer: Mario Tama/Getty Images North AmericaThe Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers to steer clear of weight loss drugs sold through compounding pharmacies, some of which are brazenly being marketed as “generic” Ozempic and Wegovy. The move shows the intensity of the frenzy over the two Novo Nordisk drugs, which use the same active ingredient, semaglutide. Troublingly, it’s hard to imagine the dysfunction in the market improving anytime soon.
As the FDA noted in its warning, there are no generic versions of these drugs. The products being offered by some pharmacies and weight loss clinics might not work – and could even be dangerous. That’s a message that consumers really need to hear.