North Phoenix · care questions
Which medicines have FDA approval?
U.S. medicine review is handled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which grants approval for a particular product and use. Approval for one product does not extend to all others containing that ingredient.
Recognise the names, then ask about the use
The approval record dated September 26, 2026 includes semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound). Their approved uses differ.
- Ozempic products include uses for diabetes. Wegovy products include weight management.
- Mounjaro includes a diabetes use. Zepbound includes weight management; it also has a use in adults with obesity for obstructive sleep apnea that is moderate to severe. With sleep apnea, a person repeatedly stops breathing while asleep.
- Find out the form of the medicine: a tablet, an injection or something else. Ask which approved use fits your health problem.
Do not mistake a code for approval
A product’s identifying code in a directory is its National Drug Code, or NDC. FDA says that getting this code does not establish approval.
- A product can appear in the government’s drug list without having FDA approval.
- A drug-making site can be registered with FDA while the medicines it makes have no FDA approval.
- Ask which approval record supports the claim, rather than accepting a badge.
A mixed-to-order product is different
A compounded product is a medicine made to order. It has no FDA approval. FDA review of an approved product does not transfer to that preparation.
- Ask why an approved option cannot meet the medical need.
- Ask what is known about the exact preparation being offered.
- Have the treating person use ordinary words to describe what remains unknown.