Novo Nordisk has recently announced that it is boosting the supply of its weight-loss drug Wegovy in the U.S., enabling more patients to start treatment. This comes after previous restrictions were placed on the starter doses of the drug due to overwhelming demand, which led to shortages.
The company has been working to increase production capacity and has contracted with new manufacturers to meet this demand. It is expected that as supply increases, the price of Wegovy may decrease, although this will be balanced by the expansion in volume. Novo Nordisk’s efforts to ramp up production include utilizing external production sites for the “fill-finish” process of the drug, with one such site being Catalent’s Indiana plant in the U.S. Despite these efforts, some shortages persist, with four out of five dose strengths of Wegovy still listed in shortage by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The company anticipates sales growth between 17% and 25% for the year, driven by demand for Wegovy and diabetes drug Ozempic, which contains the same active ingredient as Wegovy.