Big Pharma’s monopoly on Ozempic hurts access for diabetes patients in communities of color

By Andre Johnson

(Source: Zenger)

Black Americans suffer from obesity at disproportionate rates, but the popular weight-loss drug Ozempic is not available in many inner-city neighborhoods.

According to a recent study published in The Lancet, the number of people suffering from diabetes worldwide is set to double over the next three decades. This increase will push the total number of diabetes patients worldwide to a staggering 1.3 billion by 2025, making diabetes one of the top 10 causes of death and disability worldwide.

The origins of the Ozempic craze

On December 5, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a then-little-known injectable drug called semaglutide, commercially known as Ozempic, to help millions of people suffering from diabetes. Ozempic lowers blood sugar by stimulating the pancreas to produce more insulin. It has shown continued success in lowering blood sugar in patients with diabetes. The introduction of Ozempic and the sister drug Wegovy has been a game-changer for millions of people around the world who have been battling diabetes. However, one of its well-known side effects was drastic weight loss.

Ozempic gained notoriety in early 2022 when celebrities who do not suffer from diabetes began touting the drug’s ability to aid rapid weight loss. It quickly went from being a life-saving drug for diabetics to being the go-to drug for celebrities to shed extra pounds. In 2021, prescriptions for the miracle drug quadrupled in the United States alone, leading to a global shortage and creating ripple effects in many communities.

One patient thought he had found a solution to his never-ending battle with obesity and diabetes when he was prescribed Ozempic. The effects were life-changing and almost immediate, he said.

“I weighed over 365 pounds and after being hospitalized for heart failure, my doctor recommended I take Ozempic,” said Valentine Paterson, a 52-year-old Uber driver who lives in Brooklyn, New York.

“Within four months of taking the medication, I lost 65 pounds and my doctor reduced my other medications from nine to four,” Paterson continued. “It was life-changing. But then I couldn’t get my prescription. I searched for months; it was a nightmare. All the work and progress I was making was going away, all because I couldn’t pay out of pocket.”

The reason Paterson couldn’t get his prescription was that his local pharmacy, like many others across the country, could no longer get the blockbuster drug. The craze over Ozempic and Wegovy created a national shortage of the drug for those willing to pay the exorbitant out-of-pocket costs who were first in line to get the available supply. So while pharmacies in low-income neighborhoods couldn’t stock their shelves, pharmacies on Manhattan’s posh Upper East Side had a 12-month supply of the drug available for those who could afford to pay $1,400.00 per prescription. Given this gap, people began asking who could help.

Prescription pharmacies come to the rescue

According to the FDA, this case involves a compounding pharmacy, a facility licensed to produce custom drug orders during times of national shortages. A compounding pharmacy makes and sells prescription drugs based on specific formulas provided by the FDA. When a drug hits the national shortage list, compounding pharmacies are authorized to make generic versions of those drugs to help those in need. When a drug is not on the national shortage list, compounding pharmacies are only authorized to make alternative forms of the prescription drug. Ozempic has been on both the U.S. and global shortage lists since April 2022. But what happens when Big Pharma doesn’t want to let compounding pharmacies make money they feel is theirs even during a shortage?

Lifeline Pharmacy is a small, prescription-compounding pharmacy run by Dr. Aisha Johnson in the heart of South Los Angeles. For years, this pharmacy has served as a beacon of hope, providing personalized care and essential medications to the area’s predominantly Black and Latino residents. Among Johnson’s most important medications is semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Black adults are nearly twice as likely as white adults to develop type 2 diabetes. This racial disparity has been increasing over the past 30 years, creating a disproportionate need for certain medications in communities of color. Despite FDA approval for compounding pharmacies to produce semaglutide, Novo Nordisk, a New Jersey-based pharmaceutical company that makes the drug, has targeted these suppliers to protect its profits and eliminate competition.

In the Ward 8 area of ​​Washington, DC, a densely populated community of Black and Latino residents, the drug remains in high demand with little to no supply.

“There is definitely a monopoly by big pharma,” said Dr. Damon Ricks, pharmacy manager at International Pharmaceutical Sierra. “Small compounding pharmacies certainly have the right to create these drugs when the FDA declares a shortage,” Ricks said.

The broad influence of big pharma

The impact of Big Pharma’s campaign is being felt in communities from Brooklyn to Los Angeles.

Novo Nordisk’s campaign claiming that pre-prepared versions of semaglutide are unsafe and potentially deadly has created fear and uncertainty among those who use pre-prepared versions of the drug. Compounding the problem, legislative proposals influenced by pharmaceutical company lobbyists threaten to impose restrictions that would make it nearly impossible for small pharmacies to continue pre-preparing semaglutide. For communities of color, this means losing a critical source of affordable and accessible medicine.

“Big pharmaceutical companies should not have control over these drugs,” Ricks said. “There needs to be a level playing field. I think everyone needs to have access to these drugs. If a patient needs them for diabetes, then they should be available to them. Prioritizing weight loss over diabetes patients is an injustice to our health care system.”

However, Big Pharma continues to push for stricter standards for compounding pharmacies, citing the need to protect patient safety. However, there is insufficient evidence to support any of Big Pharma’s claims. Compounding pharmacies must meet rigorous standards for compounding any drug. They follow these standards in order to serve economically depressed communities of color. The popularity of these drugs has made it difficult for average Americans to afford or find them. These are not just weight loss drugs; they are survival tools for many diabetic patients. Because of Big Pharma’s resistance, many patients have been forced to accept lower doses of these drugs to maintain the benefits, although most experience little to no progress on the reduced dose.