Ozempic, Wegovy, Shortages Could Last for Years: CEO Says

The CEO of Novo Nordisk is unsure when the high demand for the company’s blockbuster weight loss drugs will finally be met. 

In an interview with CNN, Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen said he was not sure when the Danish company’s struggles to meet demand would finally end.

"If I knew how big the demand would end up being, I could tell you," he said. "But I have the sense that it could actually take quite some years before we have actually fulfilled the demand out there. … We are just scratching the surface, so to say.”

Demand for both drugs surged in recent years. Ozempic was first approved for treating type 2 diabetes in 2018. Users would often miraculously lose weight as a side-effect, causing many to start using it off-label for weight loss. In 2021, Novo received approval for Wegovy, which also uses the base drug semaglutide but is marketed specifically for weight loss.

According to a KFF poll published in August, 45% of people in the United States expressed interest in the drug, and a bigger group of people want to take the drug if their doctor approves, with 80% of respondents saying that the drug should be covered by insurance.

Celebrities, including the likes of Elon Musk and Chelsea Handler, have admitted to using the drugs for weight loss in recent years.

According to official data, around 40% of American adults are obese and 70% are overweight, a situation many have deemed as a crisis.