Blocked From Selling Off-Brand Ozempic, Telehealth Startups Embrace a Less Effective Drug

May 15, 2025

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(Wired) – As the FDA halts the sale of Ozempic and Zepbound copycats, online clinics have begun offering liraglutide, an older GLP-1 medication injected daily instead of weekly.

After telehealth startups recently lost the ability to sell exact copies of patented GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, some firms have begun turning to a different, less effective medication that has been on the market in the United States since 2010. Often considered a precursor to blockbuster products like Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, liraglutide is becoming the new darling of online clinics offering prescription weight loss and diabetes meds—despite its relative old age. (Read More)