By Cristina Gallardo

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration declared that the shortage of Novo Nordisk's weight-loss medications Wegovy and Ozempic has been resolved, according to its website.

The FDA announcement confirms that the U.S. supply of both prescription-only drugs now meets or exceeds the current and projected demand in the country, Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk said Friday.

The popularity of Novo Nordisk's blockbuster GLP-1 drugs had forced the FDA to include Wegovy and Ozempic in its official shortage list, despite the company's efforts to ramp up production.

Ozempic, which treats diabetes, and Wegovy, sold for obesity, have spent over two years on the FDA's list. During that time, compounding pharmacies--those which produce custom medications--were legally entitled to produce copies of both semaglutide drugs, which were also cheaper than Novo Nordisk's versions.

The regulator's decision to take them off of the shortage list means that compounding pharmacies will need to stop making and selling knockoffs.

Novo Nordisk said that it continues to produce Wegovy and Ozempic 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in order to meet demand.

"No one should have to compromise their health due to misinformation and reach for fake or illegitimate knock-off drugs that pose significant safety risks to patients," said Dave Moore, executive vice president for U.S. Operations at Novo Nordisk.

Shares in Novo Nordisk are up 5.8% at 630 Danish kroner in late afternoon trade in Europe. The stock is up 0.9% year-to-date.

Write to Cristina Gallardo at cristina.gallardo@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 21, 2025 11:38 ET (16:38 GMT)

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