Ozempic alternatives flood the Australian market

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The number of Australians taking weight-loss drugs is growing as new medicines hit the market. MPs warn the influx must be managed carefully.

Fears of a supply shortage of weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic in Australia have failed to materialise as distributors say global pharmaceutical giants have increased shipments of new medicines ahead of this week’s ban on local pharmacists making replica products.

“We are in a very different situation in terms of supply compared to where we were six months ago,” he said. “Australia has had a significant allocation of supply. The demand continues to increase.As the popularity of the drugs soars, MPs and doctors have warned about the long-term health effects and a pricing model that means only wealthier people can afford the injections, which can cost as much as $645 a month.

In the last month the Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved drugs like Wegovy, produced by Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, which also makes Ozempic, and Mounjaro, made by US giant Eli Lilly, for chronic weight management. Until this week, Australians could also access replica versions of the drugs through pharmacy compounding. Health Minister Mark Butler has introduced a compounding ban that comes into force on Tuesday.The government said about 20,000 Australians were injecting replica weight loss drugs that were potentially unsafe.

Eucalyptus used partner chemists to dispense compounded versions of Ozempic last year, against the advice of Novo Nordisk and inviting criticism from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Drugmakers have also flagged new treatments that will be taken in pill form once a week, promising weight loss of 15 per cent. These could also lower the cost, they say.Some pharmacists argue the compounding ban was extreme, and the government should have instead cracked down on rogue individuals selling product on the black market. They said the ban on compounding could create future shortages, which meant patients with diabetes and other conditions who needed them the most would suffer.

 

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