Recently, these medications have become extremely popular, in part due to offlabel use.
Whileresearchsuggests having a higher weight may increase your risk for certain conditions, people can behealthy at every size.
These conversations require nuance, and we hope to provide it.
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And estimates put the number of folks using these compounded drugs in the millions.
And of course, lawsuits are being filed left and right.
But its more complicated than that.
First, lets talk about what compounded drugs are and how theyve changed the GLP-1 market.
Compounding is nothing new despite only being thrust into the spotlight as of late.
The latter circumstance is what allowed for the rise of GLP-1 compounding.
Previously, meds in this class were just FDA-approved for key in 2 diabetes.
Cut to now, when both Wegovy and Zepbound have been removed from the shortage list.
Looming even bigger is the cost issue.
By contrast, compounded options generally cost around $200 a month.
The cost gap is what makes GLP-1 compounding such a unique situation.
Hence why recent moves to cut them out of the picture could majorly slash access.
Whats the difference between a compounded GLP-1 drug and a brand-name one?
A compounded drug doesnt have that oversight.
But to be clear, compoundersdostill operate within a regulatory framework, albeit a less stringent one.
Still, the lesser degree of surveillance leaves more leeway for something to go wrong.
one that should theoretically uphold FDA standards.
But the wiggle room here doesnt give you a 100% guarantee.
Theres also been aspike in adverse reactionsto compounded GLP-1s that the FDA suspects is due to accidental overdosing.
And the content of this knockoff product could beanythingin that case, Dr. Ganio says.
The outlook looks a bit different for compounded tirzepatide versus compounded semaglutide.
So long as the brand-name options remain pricy, theres incentive for 503As to create these slightly changed versions.
But the real problem were facing now isnt wrong size, she says.
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