{"id":2158954,"date":"2025-11-15T17:55:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T17:55:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2158954"},"modified":"2025-11-15T17:55:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T17:55:09","slug":"ozempic-for-all-the-new-york-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/ozempic-for-all-the-new-york-times\/","title":{"rendered":"Ozempic for All? &#8211; The New York Times"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\"\/>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email transcripts@nytimes.com with any questions.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">From \u201cThe New York Times,\u201d I\u2019m Natalie Kitroeff. This is \u201cThe Daily.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">[THEME MUSIC]<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">In the coming year, GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro may become way more attainable for millions of Americans, as President Trump promises to lower their costs and drugmakers race to release them in pill form, paving the way for what could be the next revolution in weight loss. Today, my colleague Eshe Nelson on how that story of accessibility actually started years ago when one company invented the first version of these drugs and then lost control of them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">It\u2019s Friday, November 14.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Eshe, you\u2019ve been covering Ozempic and this new class of weight loss drugs. And we\u2019re coming to you because it seems as though we may be approaching a real turning point in our collective relationship to these medications. So just tell me about how you\u2019re thinking about this moment.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Yes, I think we are definitely at some sort of turning point, or at least heading towards the next stage of these new class of weight loss drugs. They\u2019ve been available for a few years now. But despite there being 100 million Americans, for example, who are classified as obese, only a few million people are using these drugs. So we are, I think, getting to this point where access will really broaden and many more people might start to use them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">And that\u2019s because one of the big changes we can expect is that these drugs will become available in pill form, because at the moment, you can only use them as injections. They\u2019re weekly injections. That might deter some people. But I think these pills could really revolutionize the access to weight loss drugs. And those pills just start to hit the market early next year.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">That\u2019s huge.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Yeah, it is. And the other thing that could widely increase access to many more Americans is the deal President Trump recently announced.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Right. Tell me about that deal.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Yes. So last week, President Trump got into the Oval Office, the heads of Novodarivka Nordisk and the heads of Eli Lilly.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dl class=\"css-1jysr6y\">\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">donald trump<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Both of these gentlemen there, they really are stars in the truest sense. And it\u2019s an honor to have you in the White House.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">These are the two companies that are responsible for making the weight loss drugs that you probably about. So Novo Nordisk is the maker behind Ozempic and Wegovy. And then you also have Eli Lilly, they make Mounjaro and Zepbound.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">There\u2019s a lot of people in the room, I should say. Dr. Oz is there. RFK, Jr. is there. Several other members of staff who have worked on these negotiations are there as well. And President Trump, he calls this the fat drug.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dl class=\"css-1jysr6y\">\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">donald trump<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">I call it the fat drug, you know.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">And he looks around the room and he starts asking \u2014<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dl class=\"css-1jysr6y\">\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">donald trump<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Do you take any of this stuff, Howard?<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">speaker 1<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Not yet.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">donald trump<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">OK, good.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Who is taking this?<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Oh, my God.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dl class=\"css-1jysr6y\">\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">donald trump<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">We have Steve \u2014 where\u2019s Steve? Is he here? Head of Public Relations for the White House. He\u2019s taking it.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">This is certainly one way to reduce the taboo of taking these drugs.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Yeah, yeah. Just tell people who\u2019s on it.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Exactly. And President Trump got the heads of these companies into his office to announce that they were going to lower drug prices and massively increase access to these weight loss drugs.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dl class=\"css-1jysr6y\">\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">donald trump<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Significantly, Medicare and Medicaid will finally cover the cost of these weight loss drugs for millions of patients suffering from obesity.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">So up until now, you couldn\u2019t get these weight loss drugs through Medicare. So you could get Ozempic, which is the drug that is marketed for diabetes. But Medicare prohibited access to drugs that are purely for weight loss. And this deal will change that.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">robert kennedy jr.<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">President Trump is the friend of the forgotten American. Obesity is a disease of poverty, overwhelmingly. And these drugs have only been available for people who have wealth.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">RFK, Jr. and Dr. Oz, they talk about President Trump being here for the forgotten man of America.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dl class=\"css-1jysr6y\">\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">mehmet oz<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">And we are democratizing access to these medications and dealing with a moral imperative to make sure that all Americans have access to \u2014<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">And one of the things Dr. Oz says is that \u2014<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dl class=\"css-1jysr6y\">\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">mehmet oz<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Mr. President, our estimate based on the company numbers as well, is that Americans will lose 135 billion pounds by the midterms. But I don\u2019t measure it in pounds. I measure it in saved lives.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">He expects Americans to be able to lose 135 billion pounds by the midterms? Now, I\u2019m assuming that\u2019s a mistake, because if it were billions, that means each American would have to lose 400 pounds by next year. That seems pretty difficult. So I\u2019m assuming he meant 135 million.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Which is still a lot. And it sounds like for a couple of reasons at this point. Pretty soon, we could be seeing many more Americans gaining access to these drugs. And that very much is just the latest beat in what has been now a years long story of these medications spreading really quickly and widely.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">We started out hearing about them being used for weight loss among A-listers. It seemed like celebrities were the only ones who could get their hands on them just about. And now I so many people on them.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Yeah, these drugs have become really popular and quite widely available to some people in a very small amount of time, which is probably why you\u2019re hearing so many people talk about it, why you know so many people taking these drugs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">And to really understand this democratization that is starting to take place, you need to understand Novo Nordisk, which is the Danish company behind the drug that I\u2019ve been covering. And to some extent, how they\u2019ve managed and at times mismanaged the rollout of the drug because efforts to increase supply, efforts to increase access have really been at the heart of this story the whole time.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">So what is that story of how we got here?<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">So Novo Nordisk is this company that has been around for hundreds years. And for almost all of that time has been doing one thing, which is diabetes treatments. It has been making insulin. And to this day, it still makes about half of the world\u2019s insulin supply.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">But in the 1980s, GLP-1s are discovered. And it\u2019s the hormone in your body that can help manage glucose levels. And the problem that is had in trying to make GLP-1s one into a medicine is that it\u2019s just really short-acting. You put it into humans and it vanishes instantly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">So one of the things Novo Nordisk scientists and others, this is not just happening in one place, but one of the things they\u2019re trying to figure out is how to make it long lasting. Eventually, they do come up with way to make it last long enough so you can have a daily injection, and you end up with this drug that becomes known as Victoza.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Never heard of it.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Honestly, I\u2019m not surprised. Victoza, though it\u2019s discovered in 1997, doesn\u2019t hit the market until 2010. And even though they start to see the weight loss effects of it, it is still only for diabetes. Not until 2014 do they have the same drug, but for weight loss. And that becomes Saxenda. Did you hear of that one?<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">No. But what a name.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">I don\u2019t actually how they come up with these names. I would maybe love to find out. So you have this drug that is allowing people to lose weight, but it\u2019s moderate weight loss. Only about 5 percent of weight loss, which is probably why you don\u2019t hear much about it at the time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Now, the company is aware that it\u2019s on to something because this is pretty good weight loss. And the other thing is it doesn\u2019t come with all these nasty side effects effect. Back then, especially in the \u201890s, weight loss drugs have a bad reputation. This is a time when these drugs have all sorts of side effects. Sometimes they\u2019re pretty dangerous. Sometimes they\u2019re not very effective.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">And also, the culture is very different. Obesity isn\u2019t considered a disease. It is all about willpower, diet, and exercise. So people aren\u2019t thinking how should you medically treat obesity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">But they do not give up on this. And the team behind it do not give up on this. And they keep looking for a way to make these drugs last even longer. And that\u2019s how we get to semaglutide, which you will because that is Ozempic.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Finally, Ozempic.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">We\u2019re here. We\u2019re here at Ozempic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Ozempic is approved in the US in 2017. It\u2019s a weekly injection, for starters, so no more daily injections. And it also leads to much more weight loss, about 15 percent in clinical trials. So it\u2019s a huge difference from this first generation of GLP-1 drugs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">But I should say, at this time, Ozempic is supposed to be prescribed for diabetes and diabetes only. But because it\u2019s leading to this big weight loss effect, you start to see doctors prescribing it off label.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Right. I remember this was when Ozempic suddenly exploded into our national consciousness. It was like at the Oscars. There were jokes about it. It seemed like it was everywhere. All of a sudden.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Oh, jokes about it?<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dl class=\"css-1jysr6y\">\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">archived recording 1<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">When I look around this room, I can\u2019t help but wonder, is Ozempic right for me?<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Endless queries about which celebrity was taking it or not.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dl class=\"css-1jysr6y\">\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">archived recording 2<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Everybody lying. Everyone\u2019s like a smaller portion, like, shut the [BLEEP]: up. You\u2019re on Ozempic.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">I felt like it fed a million tabloid headlines.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dl class=\"css-1jysr6y\">\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">archived recording 3<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">My anti-aging doctor just hands it out to anybody, right.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Who was on Ozempic. Who wasn\u2019t. Loads and loads of TikTok videos.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dl class=\"css-1jysr6y\">\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">archived recording 4<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Here\u2019s everything you need to if you are starting Ozempic.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">People documenting their journeys on Ozempic.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dl class=\"css-1jysr6y\">\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">archived recording 5<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">I start taking Ozempic in March of this year.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">archived recording 6<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">I\u2019m officially 52 hours past my first Ozempic injection.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">archived recording 7<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">And I just start dropping pounds left and right.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">But it\u2019s not until 2021 that they get FDA approval for the same drug, but for obesity. And that\u2019s called Wegovy. And while we\u2019re seeing it all over social media, the reason this company is getting a lot of attention, and actually the reason why people call this a miracle drug is because it has a lot of other benefits alongside weight loss.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">It is known to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death from other cardiovascular issues. It can treat severe liver disease, sleep apnea, kidney disease. And at the moment, they\u2019re even studying its effect on treating Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Right. And this is the point at which we start hearing a lot about the company just being in this incredibly strong position. I remember there were these headlines about how this was like propping up the entire Danish economy at one point.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Absolutely. I mean, the sales of this drug, and I have to say, to US patients, were so enormous that the company\u2019s market value was equal in size of the Danish economy. It was the thing that was keeping the Danish economy out of recession at the time. Like these were huge numbers, huge sales, a lot of popularity for these drugs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">But actually, the popularity also becomes a problem for the company. And this is the part of the story that Novo Nordisk, I imagine, wished it could avoid altogether.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">[MUSIC PLAYING]<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">We\u2019ll be right back.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">So before the break, you said something counterintuitive, which is that the massive uptake of this drug becomes a challenge for Novo Nordisk. What did you mean by that? How\u2019d that happen?<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Absolutely. Novo Nordisk, they don\u2019t see this popularity coming. You have to remember that Novo Nordisk is a 100-year-old company that was making insulin, which is steady volumes, steady growth. But to be fair to them, no one sees this coming. Analysts don\u2019t. Investors don\u2019t. Other pharmaceutical companies don\u2019t. So everyone is playing catch up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">So after they\u2019ve launched Wegovy, and it\u2019s wildly popular, they just don\u2019t have enough of the drugs to meet all of this demand.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">[MUSIC PLAYING]<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dl class=\"css-1jysr6y\">\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">archived recording 8<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">A medicine used to treat diabetes is all over the internet as the newest way to lose weight and to lose it fast.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">archived recording 9<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Now that off label use is affecting the supply for those who need it most \u2014 diabetes patients.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">archived recording 10<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Some pharmacies say they just can\u2019t get it in stock.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Novo Nordisk, this is a huge increase in demand for them, and they don\u2019t have the production capacity to meet it. And this is the beginning of some really difficult problems for the company.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Like, what?<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">The challenge is that because these drugs become so popular and people are using them for diabetes, but also for off-label reasons, there is a concern that there\u2019s not going to be enough of these drugs out there. And so they end up on an FDA shortage list.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dl class=\"css-1jysr6y\">\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">archived recording 11<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">The Food and Drug Administration gave permission to other companies to make non brand name versions of those drugs.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">archived recording 12<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Allowing compounding pharmacies to essentially make generic versions of the drug.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">And that essentially opens the door for something called compounding.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dl class=\"css-1jysr6y\">\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">archived recording 13<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Federal law allows state licensed compounding pharmacies to dispense drugs that are essentially a copy of FDA-approved medications, which is a way for other companies and pharmacies to buy in the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, that\u2019s called semaglutide. And they can sell it crucially at a lower price.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">archived recording 14<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">The cost difference between the compounded generics and the name brand can be as much as $300 a month.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Essentially, the company is losing their monopoly on making them, and you get all these knockoff versions that are allowed to be sold to people.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Yeah. There are other versions of this drug out there now. It kind of lifts the exclusivity that Novo Nordisk has on making and selling these drugs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">[MUSIC PLAYING]<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">This seems like a pretty big deal for Novo Nordisk, because the company, as you\u2019ve told us, had spent decades working to develop these drugs. It\u2019s just a lot of money and time that Novo had invested. And normally, drug patents give a company like Novo time to finally reap the benefits of that investment.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Exactly. Now, technically, Novo Nordisk has not actually lost its patent, but it is an unusual situation in the sense that because of this shortage, the federal law does allow companies to produce versions of a patented drug. And so while we have seen this before and it\u2019s happened with other drugs, what analysts tell me is that this is a really unusual scenario because it\u2019s such a popular drug.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">And because it can be used for many different reasons alongside weight loss, because we talk about these other health benefits it has, there are so many incentives for other companies to do this compounding because there is a big market out there of patients who are looking for semaglutide, and especially looking for semaglutide. If it\u2019s cheaper than what they can get it at directly from Novo Nordisk. And in the meantime \u2014<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dl class=\"css-1jysr6y\">\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">archived recording 15<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Weight loss. For so long \u2014<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">archived recording 16<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">&#8211; I felt stuck.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">A competitor comes onto the market.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dl class=\"css-1jysr6y\">\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">archived recording 17<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">But Zepbound means change. Zepbound is for adults with obesity to help lose weight and keep it off.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Eli Lilly\u2019s drug comes on the market in 2022. Initially, they have Mounjaro, which is for diabetes, in the same way that Ozempic is for diabetes. And a year later, in 2023, Eli Lilly get FDA approval for Zepbound, which is an obesity drug.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">And this is a big change because now, Novo Nordisk has gone from being the only patented FDA-approved drug on the market for several years to having a formidable competitor in the form of Eli Lilly.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">So Novo, at this point, is dealing with competition from the compounded versions of its own drug and from this new big player in the market.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Absolutely. Eli Lilly\u2019s Zepbound becomes really, really popular. And there\u2019s a few reasons for that. One of the reasons is that Eli Lilly is very quick to allow customers to buy this drug directly, and so it helps people, who are willing to pay out of pocket, get access more quickly than they do through Novo Nordisk\u2019s Wegovy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Another reason is that some people say they simply prefer taking Zepbound. Everyone responds differently to different drugs, but lots of people report having milder side effects as well. And so we start to see access really expanding because of this alternative option.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">And then earlier this year \u2014<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dl class=\"css-1jysr6y\">\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">archived recording 18<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">The FDA says Ozempic and Wegovy popular GLP-1 drugs for diabetes and weight loss, are no longer in short supply.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">archived recording 19<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">The FDA has ordered compounding pharmacies to largely stop selling their version of the drugs.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">The FDA said, these drugs are no longer on the shortage list, and they told compounders to stop. But we\u2019ve really not seen that actually happen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Now, Novo Nordisk has tried to get involved in this as well. It is issuing lots of cease and desist orders. It\u2019s starting up all of these lawsuits. But really, it\u2019s in the hands of the FDA who say they are trying to crack down, who may be looking into how to stop these drugs being imported into the country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">But from the perspective of the compounding pharmacies, this is a huge market that\u2019s out there still. So they\u2019re still using other loopholes to find ways to offer these drugs to their patients.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">And what\u2019s the impact on the company at this point? I imagine it\u2019s stark.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">The fortunes of this company are completely reversed. In the summer, Novo Nordisk basically had to tell investors what its profits and sales would look like, assuming that compounding was still going to happen. Shareholders did not react well. The company\u2019s share price plummets 20 percent in one day.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Whoa.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">It wipes out $70 billion in market value.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">So much money.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">It\u2019s so much money. And it kind of snowballs. The negative feelings around this company that had had massive enthusiasm about the promise of these drugs, it\u2019s like, those same people got spooked. So on top of that, the company ousted CEO, brings in someone else, and then announces huge layoffs. This was a company that was hiring tens of thousands of people who have just announced they\u2019re going to get rid of 9,000 people.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Wow.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">And so over the course of the past year or so, the company\u2019s share price has dropped percent from its peak. I mean, that is a huge decline.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">It is pretty surprising to hear that the company that created this miracle drug is in such a tough spot now. And yet, the reason it\u2019s in a tough spot or part of it are things that you describe that were actually good for consumers \u2014 generics entering the market, Eli Lilly offering a competitor. People have more options now. And so I wonder if the upshot of this story is bad news for Novo Nordisk, but good news for consumers and potentially, public health.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Yeah. For Novo Nordisk, there is something amazing in being a pioneer here of leading the way. But it also gives you a lot of room to fall. And as with lots of things, when it\u2019s really popular, when it\u2019s good, when it works, and when you create a market, you are bound to get competition. And so that\u2019s what we\u2019re seeing. And in some ways that is natural.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">[MUSIC PLAYING]<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">The company knew that it was going to start to face competition, and it absolutely is. For everyone else, you start to see much more access. We\u2019ll see more entrants into the market and more variety of actually the science behind these drugs and how people respond to them and the forms that they take as well. So not just injections, but also the pills, also the frequency that you\u2019ll be likely to take them for the side effects that they might give you or not give you. So this is definitely the beginning of an expansion of access to these drugs, and it\u2019s hard to actually where it stops.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">[MUSIC PLAYING]<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Eshe, thank you so much.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">eshe nelson<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">You\u2019re welcome. I loved being here.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">[MUSIC PLAYING]<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<dt class=\"css-xx7kwh\">natalie kitroeff<\/dt>\n<dd class=\"css-4gvq6l\">\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">We\u2019ll be right back.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Here\u2019s what else you should today. On Thursday, the government slowly reopened as the longest shutdown in history came to an end. Agency workers returned to their offices and federal courts resumed their normal dockets. Government employees expect to see paychecks again as early as November 20.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">And in good news for travelers. Ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, disruptions to air traffic eased as federal officials canceled a plan to further expand restrictions on flights at 40 busy airports.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">And Blue Origin, the company started by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, successfully launched its New Glenn rocket and landed the booster on a platform in the Atlantic Ocean. It was a major breakthrough as the company tries to rival Elon Musk\u2019s SpaceX.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">SpaceX had landed a booster for the first time a decade ago, but no other company had pulled off the feat for an orbital class rocket until Blue Origin. It was a major accomplishment for a company that\u2019s long been seen as sluggish and disappointing when compared with SpaceX, which now dominates the space industry. Blue Origin is also planning a large robotic moon landing next year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">[THEME MUSIC]<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">Today\u2019s episode was produced by Rikki Novetsky, Caitlin O\u2019Keefe, and Diana Nguyen. It was edited by Lisa Chow. Contains music by Marion Lozano and Diane Wong, and was engineered by Alyssa Moxley.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">[THEME MUSIC]<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">That\u2019s it for \u201cThe Daily.\u201d I\u2019m Natalie Kitroeff. See you Monday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-8hvvyd\">[THEME MUSIC]<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.nytimes.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email transcripts@nytimes.com with any questions. natalie kitroeff From \u201cThe New York Times,\u201d I\u2019m Natalie Kitroeff. This is \u201cThe Daily.\u201d [THEME MUSIC] In the coming [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2158955,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[413713,413716,413714,413715],"class_list":["post-2158954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","tag-glp-1-ras-drug","tag-novo-nordisk-a-s","tag-ozempic-drug","tag-united-states-politics-and-government"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Ozempic-for-All-The-New-York-Times.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2158954","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2158954"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2158954\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2158956,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2158954\/revisions\/2158956"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2158955"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2158954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2158954"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2158954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}