For people who couldn't get Ozempic or Wegovy, 2025 could be your year (if you can afford it)

It’s quickly become evident that GLP-1 drugs for diabetes, weight loss, and more are the new wonder drugs—if only people could get them. However, after months of shortages, the production of these drugs is ramping up.

Novo Nordisk, the maker of perhaps the most sought-after prescription drugs in the world, says Ozempic and Wegovy are now being shipped regularly to wholesalers. After a year where products were delayed for months at a time, the FDA shortage website now lists both products as “available.”

Still, Novo Nordisk tells KTLA patients may not be able to fill prescriptions at every pharmacy immediately.

A recent report shows up to 12% of U.S. adults now use a GLP-1 drug—more than half of them say the biggest concern is the cost of such drugs. And now the out-of-pocket cost for some insurance plans is about to go up.

According to reports, Blue Cross Blue Shield is downgrading those drugs to a different tier on some insurance plans and canceling coverage entirely on others. Blue Cross Blue Shield didn’t respond to KTLA's request for comment, but USA TODAY reports some cases where a $25 co-pay will shoot up to more than $700 a month. Co-pays for weight loss drugs Wegovy and Zepbound are skyrocketing.

The controversy comes at a time when some 40% of the American public are obese—many severely obese. One person showing support for the new barrage of wonder drugs is Elon Musk, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO, who is now working on the DOGE project to reduce government spending.

On social media, Musk commented this week, “Nothing would do more to improve the health, lifespan and quality of life for Americans than making GLP inhibitors super low cost to the public... Nothing else is even close.” Link to Musk's comment

How those drugs can achieve a super low cost, or whether the U.S. government can lean on insurers to cover more Americans so they can get the drugs, remains to be seen.

KTLA also asked Novo Nordisk about Musk's remarks to make these drugs super low cost. Novo did not comment.

Full statement from Novo Nordisk:

“We are happy to share that the status of all our GLP-1 medicine presentations for Ozempic and Wegovy are now reflected on the FDA shortage website as ‘available.’ All doses of these products are being shipped regularly to wholesalers.

This update is a result of our significant investment in capacity and ongoing communication with the FDA. Our intentional approach to gradually increase supply into the U.S. market is working. We will continue to prioritize continuity of care for patients, closely monitoring market dynamics and prescribing trends along the way.

It is important to note that even when a medication is available, patients may not always be able to immediately fill their prescription at a particular pharmacy. Patients may experience variability at a particular pharmacy location regardless of whether a drug is in shortage.

As a leader and pioneer in the discovery of GLP-1 obesity treatments for decades, our commitment to this community is unwavering. People living with obesity can count on Novo Nordisk to partner, educate, and advocate to change how this disease is understood, diagnosed, and treated.”