After Telehealth Startup Recently, I lost my ability to sell accurate copies of my patented GLP-1 weight loss drug. Since 2010, some companies have started to look at other ineffective drug therapies on the market in the US. Old age.
Originally sold by Novo Nordisk under the brands Victroza and Saxenda, the drug has been available in a popular form in the US since last year. Like Ozempic, Liraglutide is a GLP-1 agonist that works by mimicking naturally occurring hormones, suppressing hunger cues, and regulating insulin levels. However, for a very simple reason, there is no recognition or popularity of the same name as the new GLP-1 drug. It also doesn’t work well and can cause more serious side effects, and patients should inject daily rather than weekly.
Earlier this year, the FDA decided there was no shortage of patented drugs such as Zepound and Ozempic, and there was a termination clause to allow online clinics to sell combined versions of the drug. As clinics and manufacturers reduce sales of these compounds, many online clinics and manufacturers are embracing liraglutide. HIMS, a major telehealth company Added Last month, generic liraglutide has joined more than 12 competitors who have already offered products in composite, generic or name brand forms, according to their lineup.
Large combined pharmacies like Florida-based Olympia’s medicines have already been circling around producing medicines, hoping to increase demand. “We have signed a rather large contract for Liraglutide,” says Chief Financial Officer Joshua Fritzler. “We can treat it the same as we treated semaglutide and tilzepatide,” the active ingredients of Ozempic and Zepbound. Fritzler says Olympia plans to increase production this summer.
GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound have been announced for their unparalleled success in the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Researchers believe it could also help patients suffering from a variety of other conditions, from addiction to Parkinson’s disease. After demand for the GLP-1 exploded in recent years, the FDA has declared that some of the name brand versions are officially lacking. This meant that doctors could legally prescribe an inexpensive “composite” version of semaglutide and tilzepatide with the same active ingredients as the original.
Combination pharmacies and telehealth startups flourished by selling these alternative GLP-1 products online, attracting millions of customers who couldn’t afford to raise the prices of name branded drugs, which are often not covered by insurance, or who didn’t want to pay a higher price. Now, both of these drug shortages have ended. The FDA grace period for manufacturers to cease production and sales of composite tilzepatides is over. The cut-off date for semaglutide is May 22nd. It’s missing Since April 2023, the compargents are free to continue making it.
Some telehealth companies continue to offer combined drugs that say are not technically direct copies of patented drugs, as they add customized doses and vitamins. Eli Lily has already sued some of them, claiming that these versions are illegal. Other telehealth companies and compartments are playing safely and have stopped selling altogether. (For example, Olympia has stopped producing semaglutide.)
