Is There a Generic for Ozempic?
A common disease around the world is diabetes. According to International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates, 1 in 10 adults is affected by the disease globally — around 537 million adults have diabetes. In 2045, 1 in 8 adults will be living with diabetes globally.
Likewise, in the US, the prevalence of the disease is high. According to a report by National Diabetes Statistics, around 11.3% of the US population is affected by diabetes, while 38% have pre-diabetes.
What is Diabetes?
In a healthy individual, the blood sugar is regulated and remains within a healthy range. But in a diabetic patient, blood sugar regulation is disrupted, and in consequence, the blood sugar level rises. The condition of high blood sugar level is known as hyperglycemia. If persistent for a longer duration, hyperglycemia may prove fatal as it can damage body tissues and organs.
Diabetes has three sub-types; type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is characterized by the non-production of insulin by the human body, whereas, in type 2 diabetes, the human body doesn’t respond appropriately to the insulin hormone. Finally, in gestational diabetes, blood sugar levels of both mother and fetus remain high throughout the pregnancy, and this type is restricted to the pregnancy duration only.
Causes of Diabetes
Though causing factors of diabetes may vary, the root cause of all types of diabetes is the non-availability or malfunction of a hormone known as insulin. The body’s glucose level is regulated by insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas.
When you have a carbs-rich meal, your blood glucose level rises sharply. When insulin is released into your bloodstream, your pancreas reacts. Insulin lowers your blood glucose level by facilitating the conversion of glucose into fats and directing more glucose to your skeletal muscles. On the other hand, your blood glucose level steadily drops during the inter-meals period. When your blood glucose level drops, the insulin induces your liver to release glucose into the blood.
Type 1 diabetic patients depend solely on daily insulin injections for survival since the human body does not produce insulin. On the other hand, type 2 and gestational diabetics may survive without daily insulin. However, they must take some anti-diabetic drugs like Ozempic and dietary and lifestyle changes to keep their blood glucose levels in check.
Ozempic (Semaglutide Injection)
Ozempic is a brand name of an anti-diabetic drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Ozempic contains semaglutide, a non-insulin class of drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists. Semaglutide is effective for type 2 diabetes, while it can’t be prescribed for type 1 diabetics.
The drug can be administered alone or in combination with other medications. It’s original purpose was to improve the health of diabetics. Besides improving symptoms of type 2 diabetes, semaglutide also reduces the risks of cardiovascular diseases and facilitates weight loss. Ozempic is available in 2mg and 4mg injectable pens.
Though the drug is quite effective in controlling blood glucose levels and reducing the risks of cardiovascular diseases, it also has some side effects. The drug’s moderate side effects include vomiting, nausea, and stomach issues.
In addition, the patients may also experience some severe side effects at the onset of semaglutide therapy. These severe side effects include pancreatic inflammation, hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, kidney damage, immunogenicity, thyroid cancer, diabetic retinopathy, and severe allergic reactions.
However, all of the above-mentioned side effects are rare, and therefore pros of semaglutide outweigh its cons. The drug has been proved effective in treating type 2 diabetes, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and facilitating weight loss.
Moreover, it is an FDA-approved drug. Because of its merits, the medication is widely prescribed by health professionals worldwide. So, if your doctor has prescribed semaglutide injections, you have to buy them – Ozempic is a prescription drug and therefore can’t be purchased without a prescription.
While purchasing Ozempic, remember that the drug is produced and marketed by Novo Nordisk, and there has been no generic for Ozempic till now.
What is a Generic Medicine?
Generic medicines are the exact copies of brand-name drugs. The generic medications contain the same active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and therefore have the same pharmacological effect as the brand-name medications. However, generic medication may differ in some aspects like in manufacturing process, formulation, colour, taste, and packaging from the brand name medication.
FDA must approve any generic medicine as FDA is responsible that a generic medication must perform the same function as the brand-name counterpart. After getting approved by the FDA, generic medicines become available. Usually, generic drugs are way cheaper than their brand-name counterparts.
Why is there no Generic for Ozempic?
When a brand discovers or invents a drug, they patent their drug product. The FDA gives patent protection and an entire period to the brand for reaping profit from their innovation. During this whole period, no generics could compete with the brand.
Like other brand-name medicines, Ozempic is still protected by patent and exclusivity by FDA. Its manufacturer and marketer, Novo Nordisk, has the right to produce the drug until December 5, 2031 exclusively. Therefore, a generic of Ozempic may appear in the market after December 5, 2031.
However, we have seen many fraudulent online pharmacies that are selling Ozempic generics illegally. At buyozempic.com, we have purchased our share of knock-offs from online pharmacies and have learned the hard way. These Ozempic generics are not only illegal, but they are also unsafe and fraudulent. These counterfeit Ozempic generics may worsen your diabetes symptoms. Though they will offer you the fake Ozempic generics at low prices, the drug may be ineffective and potentially unsafe at its worst. So, whenever your doctor prescribes you Ozempic, you will need to buy it from a reputable pharmacy.
Ozempic Alternatives
Though there is no legal generic for Ozempic, there may be several Ozempic alternatives.
Most of these alternatives are also prescription drugs as they require the prescription of a qualified health professional. Some Ozempic options may be;
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP1) receptor agonists like; Dulaglutide (Trulicity), Exenatide (Bydureon, Byetta), Liraglutide (Victoza), and Lixisenatide (Adlyxin).
Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors like; Canagliflozin (Invokana), Dapagliflozin (Farxiga), Empagliflozin (Jardiance), and Ertugliflozin (Steglatro).
Sulfonylureas like; Chlorpropamide, Glimepiride (Amaryl), Glipizide (Glucotrol), and Glyburide (Diabeta, Glynase Prestabs).
There may be other options that perform similar functions. Generally, Ozempic has been proven more effective for type 2 diabetes than other drugs, so doctors widely prescribe it. In addition, there are other health benefits of Ozempic that the alternative drug can’t offer — like Ozempic reduces weight and reduces risks of cardiovascular diseases. So, always talk to your healthcare advisor if you want to go for an Ozempic alternative, as your doctor alone can decide.
Buying Semaglutide Injection (Ozempic) in the USA
If your doctor has prescribed you a semaglutide injection (Ozempic) or advised you to continue the Ozempic therapy, you must purchase it from an authentic pharmacy. Remember that there is no legal generic available for Ozempic. And if someone sells you the generic, it may not be safe to use.
In the US, the cost of Ozempic is comparatively higher. There are millions of type 2 diabetic patients in the country, and this number is rising with each passing day. Because of such high demand, Ozempic prices have skyrocketed, and if you have no insurance, then one dose of Ozempic may cost over 1000 USD!
Even with the insurance and other discounts by the pharmacies, you will get one dose of Ozempic for around 900 USD! Such high drug costs have forced many US citizens to look for other options. Purchasing the drug with various coupons or through a different country.
If you have type 2 diabetes and want to purchase Ozempic but can’t afford such hefty prices, you can buy Ozempic from these varied online pharmacies.
Purchasing Options of Ozempic from buyozempic.com
If you are uncertain about buying Ozempic from online pharmacies, we can help you. Buyozempic.com has much experience buying Ozempic from online pharmacies in the UK, Canada, Australia, and Mexico and therefore offers multiple purchasing options for customers like you.
Through our countless experiences, we have gathered data and information to make your purchasing options easier. We have also considered other aspects like cold shipping, delivery charges, and border challenges. If you purchase from countries outside the US, you can save around 70% on your Ozempic drug.
In the US, one dose of Ozempic will cost you 900 USD, while the same dose will cost you under 300 USD when you purchase from these countries. There are several factors for the low Ozempic cost in these countries. Some factors include strict governmental regulation and a healthier population (low demand).