09 August 2023, Munich – “Other than Viagra and Botox, I’ve seen no other medication so quickly become part of modern culture’s social vernacular,” – reports Paul Jarrod Frank, a surgeon in New York about Ozempic developed by Novo Nordisk. Patients perceive it as a “miracle drug” for weight loss, especially after several celebrities promoted it on social media.1
The active ingredient of this drug, semaglutide, was initially used to treat diabetes – as it increases insulin production, thus reducing the level of glucose in the blood. However, due to its ability to limit the appetite, it provoked a huge spike in public interest.2 As a result, demand soared, resulting in sweeping drug shortages across the world. Based on a prototype of an upcoming shortage module for the QYOBO platform, Figure 1 illustrates the situation in 8 key countries.
The producer of the drug – the Danish company Novo Nordisk – holds various patents, the first of which will expire in 2026. Market analytics available on the QYOBO platform indicate which companies are already evaluating a market launch once the patent protection expires: 22 companies (besides Novo Nordisk) are already supplying (small amounts of) semaglutide to coincidentally the same number 
(22) of buyers in unregulated but also regulated markets (see Figure 2). The supply chain analytics of the QYOBO platform shows that several companies with FDF manufacturing capabilities, such as Cipla, are seemingly hedging their bets and evaluating various API suppliers simultaneously (see Figure 3). Besides an overview of potential API suppliers and buyers (launch companies in this case), the QYOBO platform also provides granular and actionable insights into API prices.
Hence in our next article, we will take a closer look at the price dynamics for Semaglutide. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to our sales team to learn more.
About QYOBO GmbH
QYOBO’s mission is to improve access to essential medication for everyone by contributing to a more transparent, efficient and robust supply of pharmaceutical and chemical raw materials.
For this purpose, we’ve developed the QYOBO market analytics platform for APIs, intermediates and chemicals. From millions of trade, regulatory and financial datasets scattered around the world, our big data algorithms derive unique, actionable insights on market prices and trends, suggest suitable partners for your business and automate data-heavy workflows in procurement, supply chain and business development.
Founded in June 2019 and based in Munich, our company is pursuing its mission collaboratively with its international clients and has been recognized with numerous awards including the BASF market challenge and the Digital Innovation award 2020 by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs & Energy (BMWi).
Disclaimer:
The information in this article is not intended to be used for medication purposes. Please do not self-medicate and consult a physician/doctor for any questions with regard to your personal medical needs. This assessment has been prepared adhering to the highest quality standards based on a variety of external data sources (see sources) with the purpose of making distributed information accessible to a broader audience. The information contained in this document is provided on an “as is” basis and QYOBO GmbH assumes no responsibility or liability for the completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness of the information provided. This article contains links to external websites operated by third parties upon which QYOBO GmbH has no influence. QYOBO GmbH does not assume any guarantee or liability for third party content.
² UCLA Health, 12.01.2023.
For further information please contact:
Ms. Iuliia Voronina,
Corporate Communications,
QYOBO GmbH
