Supplement makers try to latch on to GLP-1 boom
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
Some supplement companies are vying to get into the booming GLP-1 space, adding a new layer of complexity to accessing anti-obesity treatments.
Why it matters: GLP-1s are expensive and in short supply. Supplements promoted with similar claims may be easier to come by, but experts warn they don't have to meet the same regulatory requirements and likely will never be as effective.
What they're saying: "Consumers should be extremely skeptical" of the claims made on GLP-1 supplement bottles, said Angela Fitch, an obesity medicine doctor and chief medical officer at primary and metabolic care provider Knownwell.
- "There are certain herbal things that can stimulate GLP-1 production from within the gut," she told Axios. "That hasn't been shown to ever be very effective from a long-term weight-loss perspective."
Context: GLP-1 is a hormone that occurs naturally in the small intestine. Drugs like Ozempic, which is called a semaglutide, and Zepbound, a tirzepatide, mimic the hormone, allowing people to lose an average of 10% to 15% of their body weight.
- About 1 in 8 U.S. adults say they've taken a GLP-1 drug, according to a May KFF survey of about 1,500 people.
- Semaglutide has been on the Food and Drug Administration's drug shortage list since 2022. In October, the agency removed tirzepatide from the shortage list after nearly two years.
Where it stands: High-fiber grains and certain other foods and plant compounds can boost GLP-1 production, research shows.
- While weight-loss supplements have existed since at least the late 19th century, nutritional supplement companies are moving to capitalize on the GLP-1 craze.
- Sales for Supergut, a food company that sells a GLP-1 supplement, increased by three to four times their 2023 figures this year, WIRED reported in August.
A one-month supply of GLP-1 supplement capsules can be ordered for $90 from Lemme, an online purveyor launched by reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian.
- The supplement is made from lemon, saffron and red orange extracts, and purports to prompt "GLP-1 production, reduce hunger and cravings and support fat reduction."
- It does not, the website notes, contain any synthetic GLP-1.
- The price tag is significantly lower than the $199 per month charged by telehealth company Hims for compounded semaglutide, not to mention the more than $900 for a month's supply of Ozempic without insurance coverage.
"Lemme GLP-1 Daily is one of the top selling products in our portfolio and is in high demand globally," Simon Huck, Lemme co-founder, said in an email. "We are looking to expand Lemme GLP-1 Daily internationally given the significant outreach from retailers and consumers around the world."
- The supplements and actual GLP-1 drugs are different classes of products, he said. "Although GLP-1 drugs can be incredibly effective, many people experience side effects and are looking for a natural solution in a supplement."
Yes, but: Supplements aren't subject to the same level of oversight as pharmaceuticals.
- GLP-1 drugs are put through three phases of clinical trials to prove safety and effectiveness before the FDA allows them to be sold. The agency also monitors safety concerns once they're on the market.
- Supplements, on the other hand, are regulated through the FDA's food apparatus.
- They're supposed to use ingredients that are already found in the food supply, and aren't tested or reviewed by the FDA before they come to market. There also aren't effectiveness standards for the products, said James Boiani, a lawyer at Epstein Becker Green specializing in FDA law.
- Supplement manufacturers are allowed to make health benefit claims about their products if they're substantiated — but the FDA generally doesn't approve supplement claims before a product launches, per the agency.
GLP-1 supplements aren't inherently unsafe, but they might have adverse reactions with other medications a person is taking, and they're not going to produce the same level of weight loss as pharmaceuticals, said Fitch, the obesity medicine doctor.
Between the lines: Compounded GLP-1 drugs have also emerged as a more accessible alternative to the name-brand drugs. The FDA allows pharmacists to mix their own versions of drugs that are in short supply.
- But the FDA issued a warning earlier this year that compounded GLP-1 drugs "can be risky to patients" because they don't undergo the agency's safety, efficacy and quality tests.
What we're watching: Many of President-elect Donald Trump's picks to run federal health agencies are vocally pro-supplement. That's likely to create an even more favorable environment for the weight-loss supplement market.
- Boiani expects the next administration to give supplement manufacturers even more latitude to tout purported health claims of their products, provided they're using safe ingredients, he said.
