This medicine is practically not available in pharmacies. MPs wondered what to do about it

The growing popularity of Ozempik among people trying to lose weight has made it practically impossible to buy. This is hitting patients with type 2 diabetes, for whom the drug is intended. The reimbursed drug is currently in stock in less than 1% of pharmacies, and even there it is disappearing from the shelves very quickly.

Unavailable Ozempic

Patients often have to travel to other provinces to get their prescription filled. This is due to the side effect it causes, which is rapid weight loss. People who are trying to lose weight are willing to pay a lot for Ozempik: the price of the non-reimbursable version ranges from PLN 719.99 to as much as PLN 4,785 for a pen.

Fraudsters are taking advantage of the huge demand and promoting Ozempik on the Internet. It cannot be ruled out that people who, like speculators, bought it cheaper and sell it at a huge markup are selling it online, but it is highly probable that the products offered online are counterfeits. Their use will not bring any results at best. At worst, it will harm.

The problem with the availability of Ozempik was discussed at the meeting of the Sejm Health Committee, the course of which was reported by the RynekZdrowia.pl service. Deputy Minister of Health Marek Kos admitted that there was a shortage of some medicines, but “the shortages are not systemic, they occur in a specific region locally, or concern individual medicines and do not result from the fact that the Ministry of Health does not have an agreement for the reimbursement of medicines with a given entity responsible for the delivery, but for various reasons”. As he listed, “sometimes it is a suspension of the supply of the product to the market, sometimes a withdrawal from the European market”.

The manufacturer is unable to keep up with demand

Marek Kos also provided data on reimbursement based on information from the National Health Fund.

– If we compare 2022, 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, we can see that the demand for purchase is growing. The growth is so large that the company that produces the drug is not able to produce more of it. The demand is not only on the Polish market, but also on the European and global markets. All other countries have similar problems – he commented.

He added that the refund in 2022 amounted to just over PLN 8.7 million. In 2023, it was over PLN 31 million, and in the first quarter of this year – over PLN 11 million.

– Using certain proportions, it will be well over PLN 40 million, i.e. we will exceed this record year higher, because in the whole of 2022, 80.5 thousand packages were reimbursed, in 2023 – 153 thousand, i.e. almost twice as much, but the record data concerns the first quarter of 2024, where in one quarter alone it was over 83 thousand packages, i.e. basically more than in the whole of 2022 – emphasized Kos.

Can we produce Ozempic in Poland?

MP Marcelina Zawisza, who took part in the session, made two proposals that could potentially prevent drug shortages. The first was rationing. The MP cited the example of amantadine used to treat Parkinson’s, which was also prescribed in other situations during the pandemic (some Poles believed it could be used to treat patients infected with coronavirus).

The second proposal, supported by the vast majority of those present, was the production of the drug within the country.

– We have various instruments that we can use in a situation of high demand for innovative medicines. This is the law on compulsory licensing or the provision on the use of the invention for important state purposes and art. 69 sec. 1 item 2 of the Industrial Property Law – in both cases for compensation for the owners of the patent for the medicine – argued Zawisza.

You can’t take over the license to produce Ozempik by force

Deputy Minister Marek Kos responded to the proposal. He is “very skeptical” about rationing, but moving production to our country is an idea worth considering. However, such production will not start in the coming months.

– As for the license and potential production of drugs in Poland, it is possible, but not now, not in 2024, but much later. The company registered the drug in 2018 and has this data communication protection until 2028, hence by undertaking the production of such a drug in Poland, we are immediately exposing ourselves to huge financial problems and costs related to the proceedings. This will cost us, and we still have the ongoing problem of the court proceedings with Pfizer somewhere on our backs and we know that it can cost a lot – he noted.

How to spot a fake Ozempic?

Last year, the Chief Pharmaceutical Inspectorate reported on fake injectors marked as Ozempic (solution for injection, doses: 1 mg; 0.5 mg; 0.25 mg).

m. He details these differences in his announcement.

Features of the original Ozempic pen that distinguish it from the counterfeit one:

• using the original Ozempic pen, only one dose can be set, e.g. 1 mg, which means that only one number is visible in the dose window when setting the dose, e.g. 1;

• when turning the dose counter and setting the dose, the pen does not extend, no part unscrews or slides out;

• There is no scale on the glass part of the cartridge visible through the injector window.

Counterfeit pen:

• the counterfeit pen allows you to set different doses from 0 to 80, so when setting the dose, the dose window may show different doses and there are many of them;

• when you turn the dose counter, the pen extends, i.e. the element on which various digits and numbers from 0 to 80 are visible slides out;

• the scale and numbers are visible on the glass part protruding from the plastic part of the injector.