Shortage Tracker · Updated November 4, 2026

GLP-1 Shortage Status in 2026: What Changed and What You Can Do

Both major GLP-1 shortages are over. FDA resolved tirzepatide in October 2024 and semaglutide in February 2025. The grace periods that let compounders keep making copies ended in 2025. Here is what that means for you.

1. FDA shortage status

For liraglutide (Saxenda, Victoza) and any other drug, check the FDA Drug Shortages database directly.

2. What "shortage resolved" means

FDA lists a shortage when national demand exceeds supply. Resolution does not mean every pharmacy has every dose in stock every day.

What it means legally, based on FDA's compounding rules and its GLP-1 policy page:

• 503A pharmacies cannot regularly compound copies of a commercially available approved drug
• 503B outsourcing facilities can compound from bulk ingredients only for drugs on the shortage list or the 503B bulks list, and FDA says neither drug is on either list
• FDA says compounded drugs should be used only when a patient's needs cannot be met by an approved drug

3. Timeline

• 2022 to 2024: Semaglutide and tirzepatide on the FDA shortage list. Compounded versions spread through telehealth.
• October 2, 2024: FDA announced the tirzepatide shortage was resolved. After a lawsuit, FDA reevaluated and confirmed that decision on December 19, 2024.
• February 21, 2025: FDA determined the semaglutide injection shortage was resolved.
• March 5, 2025: A federal court denied the compounders' preliminary injunction request on tirzepatide. FDA then said 503A enforcement discretion had ended.
• March 19, 2025: Tirzepatide grace period for 503B outsourcing facilities ended.
• April 24, 2025: A federal court denied a similar request on semaglutide, and the 503A period for semaglutide ended.
• May 22, 2025: Semaglutide grace period for 503B outsourcing facilities ended.
• February 6, 2026: FDA said companies cannot claim compounded GLP-1s are generics or the same as FDA-approved drugs.

4. Your options if you can't get your usual GLP-1

If your local pharmacy is out of stock

1. Call other pharmacies in your area
2. Use mail order through your insurance plan, if covered
3. Ask your prescriber whether a different dose or product makes sense. Do not change doses on your own.
4. Buy direct from LillyDirect (tirzepatide) or NovoCare (semaglutide)

If you were on compounded GLP-1 and your provider stopped

1. Talk to your prescriber before restarting anything. Compounded doses and concentrations can differ from brand products, so a switch needs a new prescription and dosing plan.
2. Price the brand self-pay options: Zepbound vials and KwikPens at $299 to $449/mo, Mounjaro pens at $499/mo, or Wegovy at $149 to $299/mo for the pill and $349/mo for the pen (all checked November 4, 2026)
3. Check whether your insurance covers the brand version

If you are starting a GLP-1 in 2026

Brand drugs are in supply, and manufacturer self-pay programs (LillyDirect, NovoCare) now sell them at fixed monthly prices. Read our guide to the cheapest GLP-1 online for current options.

5. What to watch

• Oral options: The Wegovy pill and Lilly's oral orforglipron (Foundayo) are FDA-approved for weight management.
• Higher doses: Wegovy HD 7.2 mg was approved in March 2026 and is sold self-pay at $399/mo through NovoCare.
• In trials: Retatrutide (a GLP-1/GIP/glucagon agonist) and amycretin (a GLP-1/amylin agonist) were not FDA-approved as of this check.

FAQ

Is Mounjaro still in shortage in 2026?

No. FDA announced the tirzepatide shortage was resolved on October 2, 2024 and confirmed it on December 19, 2024. FDA's April 2026 update says tirzepatide does not appear on its drug shortage list. Local pharmacy stock can still vary.

Is Wegovy still in shortage in 2026?

No. FDA determined the semaglutide injection shortage was resolved on February 21, 2025. FDA's April 2026 update says semaglutide does not appear on its drug shortage list. Local pharmacy stock can still vary.

Can I still get compounded GLP-1 after the shortage ended?

Only in narrow cases. Once the shortages ended, pharmacies lost the shortage-based room to make copies of approved drugs, and FDA's grace periods ran out in 2025. FDA says compounded drugs should be used only when a patient's needs cannot be met by an approved drug. Compounded GLP-1s are not FDA-approved, and in February 2026 FDA said companies cannot claim they are generics or the same as approved drugs.

What happened to compounded tirzepatide in 2025?

Compounders sued FDA (Outsourcing Facilities Association v. FDA). A federal court denied their request for a preliminary injunction on March 5, 2025, and FDA then said its enforcement discretion for 503A pharmacies had ended. The period for 503B outsourcing facilities ended March 19, 2025.

How can I check current FDA shortage status myself?

Use the FDA Drug Shortages database at accessdata.fda.gov and search by active ingredient, such as semaglutide, tirzepatide or liraglutide. FDA also posts GLP-1 compounding updates on its drug alerts page.

What we checked

This AI-assisted public-source desk check reviewed FDA's GLP-1 compounding policy page (last updated April 1, 2026), FDA's February 6, 2026 announcement, FDA's compounding laws page, and the LillyDirect and NovoCare self-pay pages on November 4, 2026. We removed manufacturing-capacity, patent and liraglutide claims we could not confirm from a primary source. This is not a clinical review and it is not medical advice. Prices and policies change, so confirm them with the provider or your prescriber before you act.

Related

• My compounding pharmacy closed: what to do
• Is compounded semaglutide legal in 2026?
• Full GLP-1 pricing index
• Mounjaro cost in 2026
• Zepbound cost in 2026