Novo Nordisk’s Saxenda is the latest drug to suffer a shortage, as rising demand for weight-loss drugs has created supply hurdles across the industry.
Saxenda will have limited availability through the end of the year, according to a notice posted Tuesday on the FDA’s database.
On a consumer-oriented website for the drug, the company said it was still making and shipping Saxenda, but warned of prescription filling problems “for the remainder of 2023 and beyond.”
“We continue to see demand for Saxenda increase at a significant rate, which is disrupting supply,” a Novo spokesperson said in an email.
Newer drugs from Novo Nordisk such as Wegovy and Ozempic, as well as Eli Lilly & Co. monjaroIt has become very popular in recent months after studies showed it can help patients lose dozens of pounds. Wegovy is only approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat obesity.
While Saxenda works similarly to these newer medications, it is less effective and helps patients lose less weight. However, recent shortages of Wegovy and Mounjaro have led to renewed interest. Prescriptions for Saxenda jumped about 30,000 between May 2023 and June 2023, according to Bloomberg Intelligence data, the biggest monthly jump over the past two years.
On Wegovy’s Novo website, the company warns potential patients about switching to Saxenda, saying, “We cannot guarantee a supply to match the continuing increased demand for weight management drugs.”