The National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) approved 9 "weight-loss pen" medications based on semaglutide since the patent expired in March. All medications are indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Ozivy, produced by EMS, was the first approved medication, in May. So far, none of these 9 medications has been approved for exclusive use in weight loss.
The approved pens are divided into two types: while Ozempic and Wegovy are manufactured with biological semaglutide, produced from living systems such as cells, the other pens available on the market use synthetic semaglutide, manufactured by chemical synthesis. The difference in the production process, however, does not affect the efficacy of the medications.
The approval by the regulatory agency indicates that all medications underwent the necessary technical process to prove efficacy, safety, and quality. In addition to the 9 medications approved by the agency, there are two other national pens on the market, the result of a partnership between Novo Nordisk (manufacturer of Ozempic and Wegovy) and Eurofarma, approved in 2025.
