How compounding pharmacies can make GLP-1 weight loss drugs

The new class of GLP-1 weight loss drugs have been blockbusters since they arrived on the market a few years ago. These medications have made tens of billions of dollars for drugmakers and have made their way into the public consciousness in a remarkable way. Almost three-quarters of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese, and obesity can lead to a litany of health complications, including heart disease, joint pain, and cancer. So there’s an enormous demand for highly effective weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound. Meeting that huge demand has been challenging. The name-brand medications are very expensive and not always covered by insurance. Even with coverage, consistent shortages of these drugs have plagued the market. But there is a loophole filling this market gap. When name-brand drugs are in shortage, the FDA temporarily allows compounding pharmacies to make generic versions of these medicines. These specialized pharmacies, which typically make customized drugs for individual patient needs, have become a popular alternative for patients seeking GLP-1 prescriptions. This has led to an explosion of telehealth companies offering compounded versions of GLP-1s like Ozempic at a much lower price than the brand-name products. This has meant big business for both telehealth companies and compounding pharmacies. But the future of this cottage industry, and the patients that have come to rely on the drugs they sell, is very much uncertain. In this deep-dive explainer video, STAT takes you through how exactly this alternative market for GLP-1s works. 00:00 Intro 00:55 Why is there so much demand for GLP-1s? 01:56 What is a compounding pharmacy? 02:34 Why compounding pharmacies can make "copies" of brand-name GLP1s 04:15 How telehealth companies prescribe GLP-1s 05:43 Things to keep in mind for people considering compounded GLP-1s 07:40 What does the future hold for patients taking compounded GLP-1s? More from STAT: Become a subscriber: https://www.statnews.com/stat-plus/ Watch Full Episodes:    / @statnews   Newsletters: https://www.statnews.com/signup/ STAT events: https://www.statnews.com/stat-events/ Facebook:   / statnews   Twitter:   / statnews   Instagram:   / statnews   Flipboard: rb.gy/3xnsxr STAT Reports: https://rb.gy/rexfwj STAT eBooks: https://rb.gy/eme3h5 ABOUT STAT: Founded in 2015, STAT is a global digital media brand that focuses on delivering fast, deep, and tough-minded journalism about the life sciences industries to over six million monthly site visitors and an additional 20 million readers on the Apple News app. STAT takes you inside academic labs, biotech boardrooms, and political backrooms, casting a critical eye on scientific discoveries, scrutinizing corporate strategies, and chronicling the roiling battles for talent, money, and market share. With an award-winning newsroom, STAT provides indispensable insights and exclusive stories on the technologies, personalities, power brokers, and political forces driving massive changes in the life sciences industry — and a revolution in human health.