Ozempic knockoffs flood US market thanks to ‘blind spot’ in FDA rules

Obscure statute grants reproduction of drugs in shortages - creating $1bn market of unbranded weight-loss drugs

An obscure federal statute is allowing US pharmacies to flood the market with unvetted knockoffs of Ozempic, the pricey weight-loss drug that is reducing and transforming the weight and silhouettes of millions of Americans.

According to a Bloomberg investigation published Monday, a blind spot" in Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations that allows pharmacies and compounders to reproduce drugs that are in short supply has helped to create a market of unbranded weight-loss drugs worth $1bn annually.