WEIGHT-CARE CHAPTER / NAMES AND STATUS
Approved drug, copy, or unfinished research
The names can sound related while the legal position is completely different: one kind is approved, one is a pharmacy-made copy, and one is not approved at all.
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Two approved ingredients people often mean
Semaglutide, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, and tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound, each carry approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Each brand has its own approved uses and label.
As of September 2026, no generic Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Zepbound can be marketed in the United States.
Why the shortage dates matter
While these drugs were in national shortage, pharmacies were for a time allowed to make copies. The FDA declared the tirzepatide shortage over in December 2024 and the semaglutide shortage over in February 2025.
As of September 2026, the FDA shortage database does not list either injection as being in shortage. A pharmacy being out of stock locally does not reopen the national exception.
MYTH / TAP TO CHECK
Adding a vitamin always makes a compounded copy legally different.
THE FACT
No. The FDA has said that an injection with the same drug at about the same strength still counts as a copy, even with a vitamin added.
Retatrutide is a different case
As of September 2026, retatrutide is not approved for use in the United States, and the FDA says it cannot be used in compounding.
Where these facts come fromGOVERNMENT PAGES
These links open the public records used for this chapter.