The GLP-1 drug shortage is over for the big two: FDA declared the tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) shortage resolved on December 19, 2024 and the semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) shortage resolved on February 21, 2025.[1][2] Liraglutide injection (Victoza, Saxenda and generics) is still listed as in shortage in October 2026, though several products are available.[4] The end of the shortages is what ended most GLP-1 compounding.[3]
For how these drugs work, see our semaglutide, tirzepatide and liraglutide profiles and the GLP-1 basics hub.
FDA shortage status by drug (October 2026)
| Drug (brands) | First listed | Status | Resolved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semaglutide injection (Wegovy, Ozempic) | Wegovy Mar 31, 2022; Ozempic Aug 23, 2022[1] | Resolved | Feb 21, 2025[1] |
| Tirzepatide injection (Mounjaro, Zepbound) | Dec 15, 2022[2] | Resolved | Oct 2, 2024; reissued Dec 19, 2024[2] |
| Liraglutide injection (Victoza, Saxenda, generics) | July 18, 2023[4] | Currently in shortage[4] | Not resolved |
The liraglutide listing is mixed by product. As of FDA’s October 2026 entries:[4]
- Victoza: two presentations with limited availability because of shipping delays; no estimated end date.
- Saxenda: limited availability, listed as available until a planned discontinuation in January 2027.
- Generic liraglutide: products from Hikma and Meitheal, and a Teva-distributed version, listed as available.
If you use liraglutide, see liraglutide vs semaglutide for the differences between them.
What caused the shortage?
Under federal law, a drug shortage is “a period of time when the demand or projected demand for the drug within the United States exceeds the supply.” That is the test FDA applied.[1]
The demand side grew fast. Wegovy was approved for weight management in June 2021 and went on the shortage list on March 31, 2022; Ozempic followed on August 23, 2022, and tirzepatide on December 15, 2022.[1][2] Making these drugs depends on peptide manufacturing and on filling prefilled pens, and both take time to expand.
To end the shortages, FDA relied on confidential manufacturer data on production, inventory, wholesaler stock and projected demand. For semaglutide, FDA found that Novo Nordisk’s supply was meeting or exceeding demand and that the company had built reserves of finished and semi-finished product.[1] FDA also weighed reports from compounders, telehealth companies and patients, but found that information had important limitations.[1]
What shortage status means for compounding
Shortage status is the switch that controls large-scale compounding of copies.
- 503A pharmacies: may not regularly compound drugs that are “essentially copies” of a commercially available drug. A drug on FDA’s shortage list is not treated as commercially available, which is why copies were allowed during the shortage.[3]
- 503B outsourcing facilities: may compound from a bulk ingredient only if it is on the 503B bulks list or the drug is on the shortage list at the time of compounding, distribution and dispensing.[3]
When the shortages ended, FDA gave compounders grace periods. For tirzepatide, these ended in March 2025; for semaglutide, April 22, 2025 for 503A pharmacies and May 22, 2025 for 503B facilities.[3] FDA has since said semaglutide and tirzepatide are on neither the shortage list nor the 503B bulks list.[3] Our guide to the GLP-1 compounding ban covers those deadlines in detail, and 503A vs 503B compounding explains the two routes.
Does liraglutide’s shortage status allow compounding?
Liraglutide is the one GLP-1 still on the shortage list, so the shortage pathway has not formally closed for it. Two caveats apply:
- On April 30, 2026, FDA proposed excluding liraglutide, along with semaglutide and tirzepatide, from the 503B bulks list, finding no clinical need for outsourcing facilities to compound them from bulk. As of October 2026 this was a proposal, not a final decision.[6]
- Generic liraglutide products are on the market and listed as available, and the status can change whenever FDA updates the database.[4]
Did the courts agree?
Yes. A trade group of outsourcing facilities sued over both decisions. On August 27, 2026, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld FDA in two separate unpublished opinions. It found that any error from skipping notice-and-comment procedures was harmless, and that FDA’s reliance on manufacturer data was not arbitrary or capricious.[7][8]
How to check shortage status yourself
FDA’s Drug Shortages database is the official source, and it is free to search.[4]
- Search by active ingredient, such as “liraglutide injection,” not by brand name.
- Look at the overall status: “Currently in Shortage” or “Resolved.”
- Read the table of individual products. Each row lists a manufacturer and package code (NDC) with its own availability, such as available or limited availability, plus a reason and an estimated duration when one is known.
- Check the date each row was last revised or reverified.
Two points often cause confusion. A drug can be “currently in shortage” overall while several individual products are listed as available, as liraglutide is now.[4] And the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists keeps a separate shortage list that uses its own criteria; for compounding law, only FDA’s list counts.[3]
Safety reports and counterfeits
During and after the shortage, FDA tracked problems with non-approved products. As of May 31, 2026, it had received 990 adverse event reports linked to compounded semaglutide and more than 730 linked to compounded tirzepatide, which it says likely undercounts the true number. It has also investigated counterfeit Ozempic in the U.S. supply chain and issued an import alert on GLP-1 ingredients with possible quality problems.[5]
Alternatives if you can’t get your GLP-1
- Talk to your prescriber about a different approved GLP-1 or dose form; see GLP-1 alternatives.
- Check manufacturer self-pay programs if cost is the barrier; see GLP-1 cost without insurance.
- Ask the pharmacy to order it or call other pharmacies; local stock gaps are often short.
- Be cautious with add-in products: compounded versions with extra ingredients are covered in compounded GLP-1 additives.
Never switch between drugs or convert doses on your own; a clinician should set the new dose.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check FDA’s drug shortage database for the current status of any product.
