Companies Manufacturing New Weight Loss Drugs To Offset Demand, But Are They Safe?

Some pharmaceutical companies are responding to the shortage of weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy by manufacturing their own version.

One online pharmacy says it will offer its own version at a huge discount, even without FDA approval. Experts are saying these drugs could be risky.

The weight loss drugs are in short supply, and now the online company Hims and Hers is selling its own version of the drug, used for both diabetes and appetite suppression.

The Hims and Hers prices are as low as $199 per month compared to nearly $1,000 for the on-brand versions without insurance.

The new versions of the drug are produced by ‘compounding pharmacies,’ which the FDA allows during drug shortages. Other digital health platforms are also offering versions of the drug.

But, these compounded drugs haven’t been directly evaluated by the FDA, and could differ from the approved versions.

“We do not know what the side effects are,” Dr. Dan Azagury, chief of bariatric surgery with Stanford, said. “You’re taking a drug that now nobody has really verified except the people who are making it and the people who are selling it.”

Even without the FDA’s approval, the news of Hims and Hers’ cheaper alternative sent its stock soaring Monday.

“Even though there's a sense of urgency to improve your health, there's also an even higher bar, which is first, it has to be done safely,” Dr. Azagury said.