EU Faces Intermittent Ozempic Shortages Amid Rising Demand

The European Union is experiencing intermittent shortages of the diabetes drug Ozempic, expected to persist until late 2024. This shortage arises due to high demand, though not all member states are affected. Manufacturer Novo Nordisk is expanding production to meet needs, investing significantly for future capacity increases.

The European Union is grappling with intermittent shortages of the diabetes medication Ozempic, anticipated to persist into the closing quarter of 2024, due to surging demand, according to Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk.

On Monday, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) published a note advising healthcare workers to limit the initiation of treatment for new patients on Ozempic and its counterpart Victoza until the supply situation stabilizes. Novo Nordisk confirmed the EMA's information, sharing it was aligned with the agency earlier in the summer.

Novo Nordisk is accelerating efforts to enhance production capacity for both Ozempic and Wegovy, a related obesity drug. With some market analysts projecting the obesity drug market to reach $150 billion by the early 2030s, the company is running production 24/7 and plans an investment of 45 billion Danish crowns ($6.67 billion) in 2024 to escalate its output.

(With inputs from agencies.)