NEW YORK, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Seemingly overnight, millions of people were taking the medicines, known as GLP-1s, while blockbuster drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound brought in billions for pharma companies, and a fierce battle ensued to win market share, reported Bloomberg News on Thursday.
"The GLP-1 craze has also been tumultuous for many patients," noted the report. "With Novo Nordisk A/S and Eli Lilly & Co., at times, unable to keep up with demand, a booming market of loosely regulated copycats and illegal counterfeits emerged. Loose prescribing of brand-name and copycat versions through telehealth companies placed the drugs into the hands of people with eating disorders and others who shouldn't be taking them."
Separately, many patients couldn't get or lost coverage by insurers who refused to cover the costly drugs, leaving consumers to pay out of pocket or seek out alternatives, said the report, adding that "if anything it's been a chaotic year for the GLP-1 drug boom." ■