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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Edward Helmore

Ozempic knockoffs flood US market thanks to ‘blind spot’ in FDA rules

White and blue prescription boxes for Wegovy and Ozempic, weight-loss drugs
Boxes of Ozempic and Wegovy made by Novo Nordisk are seen at a pharmacy in London, England, on 8 March 2024. Photograph: Hollie Adams/Reuters

An obscure federal statute is allowing US pharmacies to flood the market with unvetted knockoffs of Ozempic, the pricey weight-loss drug that is reducing and transforming the weight and silhouettes of millions of Americans.

According to a Bloomberg investigation published Monday, a “blind spot” in Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations that allows pharmacies and compounders to reproduce drugs that are in short supply has helped to create a market of unbranded weight-loss drugs worth $1bn annually.

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