Since their debut, GLP-1 injectable medications like Ozempic have been in high demand. In addition to treating diabetes and obesity, these drugs have cardiovascular benefits and there is evidence that they can curb addiction and possibly even protect against some types of cancer, which has only further broadened their appeal. But for people who hate needles, these medications have one obvious and glaring drawback: They require a weekly injection.
Now, however, on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, ads for knockoff oral versions of GLP-1 drugs are proliferating. After brand-name GLP-1 drugs became scarce in 2022, a booming industry of “compounding” pharmacies and telehealth clinics emerged to offer copies of the drugs, as they are legally allowed to do when there are shortages. But unlike the pharmaceutical giants that produce the originals, these virtual clinics and specialty pharmacies offer weight-loss versions of semaglutide and tirzepatide that are taken orally. They offer lozenges, tablets, pills, cheek gels, drops, and dissolving strips, and promise to deliver the same active ingredients as brand-name medications without the injections.
It’s an attractive prospect, especially since these medications are offered at a fraction of the price of their brand-name counterparts and are often shipped overnight after a potential patient fills out a quick online questionnaire. One month supply of semaglutide pills with added vitamin B6 from Telehealth startup StrutFor example, it costs $149 without insurance, versus Wegovy’s price of more than $1,000.
“As a pharmacist, I can appreciate the enthusiasm for the rise of oral semaglutide as it is an easier route than injectables,” says Melinda Lee, a pharmacist who runs pharmaceutical packaging company Parcel Health, as well as the availability of LPG medicines. -1. database. Oral versions also do not need to be refrigerated like injectables, making them easier to ship and store. But while she understands the enthusiasm, Lee remains skeptical. While taking a medication orally may be more appealing than a needle, when it comes to GLP-1, there is still no evidence that they are as effective, he says.
Unlike brand-name medications Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound, compounded versions have not been rigorously tested in clinical trials and are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. And although by law they must contain the same active ingredient as the drug they imitate, these orally formulated medications may not work as well as injectable drugs.
María Daniela Hurtado Andrade, an obesity specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, says she does not recommend oral medications composed of GLP-1 to her patients. “I don’t consider them, I don’t prescribe them, and I don’t approve of them,” he says.