Obesity drug shortages are symptomatic of wider malaise.

The latest generation of obesity medications is breaking new ground, surpassing the previously aspirational benchmark of 10% weight loss in the majority of clinical trial participants. 1 Perdomo CM Cohen RV Sumithran P Clément K Frühbeck G Contemporary medical, device, and surgical therapies for obesity in adults. Lancet. 2023; 401: 1116-1130 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (33) Google Scholar Semaglutide, 2 Wilding JPH Batterham RL Calanna S et al. Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity. N Engl J Med. 2021; 384: 989-1002 Crossref PubMed Scopus (913) Google Scholar a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA), is the first of these new agents to obtain regulatory approval for obesity, with tirzepatide 3 Jastreboff AM Aronne LJ Ahmad NN et al. Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity. N Engl J Med. 2022; 387: 205-216 Crossref PubMed Scopus (420) Google Scholar and other agents still in development 4 Jastreboff AM Kaplan LM Frías JP et al. Triple–hormone-receptor agonist retatrutide for obesity—a phase 2 trial. N Engl J Med. 2023; 389: 514-526 Crossref PubMed Scopus (0) Google Scholar showing even greater promise. This remarkable progress has prompted unprecedented awareness of these medications, extending well beyond biomedical boundaries, and generating so much demand for semaglutide (including outside its therapeutic indications) 5 Steele M Semaglutide: beware of buying the weight-loss drug online. The Conversation, June 17, 2023https://theconversation.com/semaglutide-beware-of-buying-the-weight-loss-drug-online-207581Date accessed: September 22, 2023 Google Scholar that a global shortage has ensued and is expected to extend into 2024.