At least four states are working to prevent pharmacies from compounding unauthorized solutions of Ozempic and Wegovy — two popular drugs from Novo Nordisk — because of safety concerns, NBC News reported May 3.
The states are Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and West Virginia.
Ozempic, a diabetes drug that can be prescribed off-label for weight loss, and Wegovy, a weight-loss medication, were in monthslong shortages before supply recently rebounded. Some solutions of Wegovy may go into shortage again as Novo Nordisk purposefully cuts back on production "to safeguard the continuity of care," a company executive said May 4.
Regulators in the four states are trying to suppress compounding pharmacies from making semaglutide, the drugs' generic active ingredient, and legal action may follow this trend, according to NBC News.
"This is not the candy business. It's the drug business," Rick Niemi, CEO of Valor Compounding Pharmacy, told the outlet.
There are 25 substances the FDA allows pharmacies to compound, and because anything else is not approved or regulated, such as semaglutide salt, safety risks could accompany some compounded products. No companies have been fined so far, according to NBC News.