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Behind the Ozempic Shortage: The Science & Controversy Around Compounded GLP-1’s

Episode 149, duration 1 hr 14 mins
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Episode 149

Behind the Ozempic Shortage: The Science & Controversy Around Compounded GLP-1’s

In this episode, I’m joined by Shaun Noorian—engineer, entrepreneur, and CEO of Empower Pharmacy, the largest compounding pharmacy in the world. With compounded GLP-1s making headlines and lawsuits from Big Pharma intensifying, Shaun joins me to pull back the curtain on the regulatory, financial, and ethical storm brewing behind the scenes.

We cover:

  • Why compounded GLP-1s are under attack—and what the FDA’s recent moves really means
  • How Big Pharma sets drug prices—and why Americans pay up to 10x more than other countries
  • The legal battle over semaglutide, regulatory capture, and the influence of pharmaceutical lobbying
  • How compounding pharmacies offer personalized care and expand access to life-saving medications
  • What’s next for patients, clinicians, and the future of affordable medicine in the U.S.

Who is Shaun Noorian?

Shaun Noorian is the founder and CEO of Empower Pharmacy, the largest compounding pharmacy and 503B outsourcing facility in the United States. A fierce advocate for patient access and affordable care, Shaun has become a leading voice on the role of compounding in medicine and the urgent need for reform in pharmaceutical pricing and regulation.
Watch the Episode Episode Notes Timestamps Read the Blog Transcripts

In this episode, we discuss:
-Why compounded GLP-1s are under attack—and what the FDA’s recent moves really means

– How Big Pharma sets drug prices—and why Americans pay up to 10x more than other countries

– The legal battle over semaglutide, regulatory capture, and the influence of pharmaceutical lobbying

– How compounding pharmacies offer personalized care and expand access to life-saving medications

– What’s next for patients, clinicians, and the future of affordable medicine in the U.S.

00:00 – Introduction: Why compounded GLP-1s are in the crosshairs

03:45 – Drug shortages, compounding access, and the rise of semaglutide

08:30 – Why patients flock to compounded medications (and who’s trying to stop it)

12:10 – Eli Lilly lawsuit and Big Pharma’s monopoly playbook

17:05 – Price fixing, international pricing gaps, and the $500/month illusion

21:40 – Regulatory capture: How the FDA, pharma, and lobbying intertwine

26:30 – What compounding pharmacies actually do—and why safety concerns are overblown

30:15 – The April Fool’s FDA warning letters: coincidence or coordinated attack?

35:50 – Can personalized medicine really be considered “dangerous”?

41:00 – What the media gets wrong—and how pharma shapes the narrative

47:00 – Are compounded GLP-1s banned? Sorting fact from fiction

53:25 – What’s next: state-level restrictions, 503B regulations, and the future of patient care

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Evy Poumpouras

Evy Poumpouras is a multi-platform journalist, host, and exclusive contributor to NBC across all their news platforms, covering national security, law enforcement, and crime. Evy’s book, BECOMING BULLETPROOF, was released by Simon & Schuster in 2020 and covers a wide range of topics, including personal protection, behavioral analysis, situational awareness, and how to live life fearlessly. Outside of her role as a journalist, Evy is a TEDx speaker whose expertise is sought worldwide.

 Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson

Susan Peirce Thompson, Ph.D. is a faculty member in brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester, a multiple New York Times bestselling author, and a keynote speaker on how the brain supports human flourishing. In 2014, she founded Bright Line Eating, a worldwide movement dedicated to helping people achieve permanent weight loss maintenance. Over 115,000 people from more than 100 countries have taken her courses and you can find her online at BrightLineEating.com or SusanPeirceThompson.com.

Dr. Mark Hyman

Mark Hyman, MD, has devoted his life to helping others discover optimal health and address the root causes of chronic disease through the power of Functional Medicine. Dr. Hyman is a practicing family physician and an internationally recognized leader, speaker, educator, and advocate in the field of Functional Medicine. He is a co-founder and the Chief Medical Officer of Function Health, founder and Director of The UltraWellness Center, founder of Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine and Board Member for The Institute of Functional Medicine.

He is the founder and chairman of the Food Fix Campaign, dedicated to transforming our food and agriculture system through policy. Dr. Hyman is also the host of one of the leading health podcasts, The Dr. Hyman Show, with 300+ million downloads and a fifteen-time New York Times best-selling author. He is a regular medical contributor to several television shows and networks, including CBS This Morning, Today, Good Morning America, The View, Fox and CNN.


Jeff Cavalier

Jeff Cavalier is a fitness guru, social media star, personal trainer, and former head physical therapist of the New York Mets (professional baseball team). Jeff earned a Bachelor of Science in Physioneurobiology/Premedicine and a Master's degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Connecticut. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Jeff served as both the Head Physical Therapist and Assistant Strength Coach for the New York Mets during the National League East Championship 2006, 2007, and 2008 seasons. During this time, he coached some of the game’s most accomplished players, including future Hall of Fame pitchers Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, and perennial all-stars Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Billy Wagner, to name just a few. In addition to physiotherapy and training, Jeff is an author and lecturer speaking on topics such as baseball injury prevention, sport-specific conditioning, sports training, and injury rehabilitation and prevention. Jeff founded ATHLEAN-X Training System to share methods and techniques used by some of the greatest athletes to forge explosive and strong physiques. This is a science-based training system allowing anyone to get the same results as professional athletes.

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Sal Di Stefano’s passion for fitness began when he picked up his first barbell at 13 years old. Any other teenager would have done a set of curls, but legend has it, Sal did squats. He was always different like that – and it wasn’t long before everyone would notice.

At age 18, Sal started working as a personal trainer, becoming the youngest general manager at 24 Hour Fitness by 19 years old. Not long after, he opened his own studio. Its reputation and success proved he was more than a personal trainer, but also a gifted businessman. And it was this entrepreneurial spirit that guided Sal to where we see him today.

He is the voice of Mind Pump, a published author, and one of the most trusted and respected faces in the fitness industry. Sal is an indispensable podcast host: the one who summarizes research when Justin and Adam trip over scientific words, the proverbial guinea pig when there’s a new peptide, and the conductor trying his best to keep conversation on track when we all know it’s headed off the rails.

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Jeff Cavalier

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Heidi Somers

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Jocko Willink

Jocko Willink is a decorated retired U.S. Navy SEAL officer, co-author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win and The Dichotomy of Leadership, and host of the top-rated Jocko Podcast. He is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Echelon Front, a premier leadership consulting firm; the founder of Jocko Fuel, a performance nutrition and lifestyle company committed to clean, uncompromising quality; and the co-founder of Origin USA, a Made in America company producing apparel, boots, and gear. Across his ventures, Jocko serves as an instructor, speaker, executive coach, and strategic advisor.

Jocko spent 20 years in the SEAL Teams, serving in both enlisted and officer roles before rising to command SEAL Team Three’s Task Unit Bruiser during the Battle of Ramadi. There, he led combat operations that supported the U.S. Army’s 1st Armored Division “Ready First” Brigade in bringing stability to one of the most violent regions in Iraq. Task Unit Bruiser became the most highly decorated Special Operations unit of the Iraq War.

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Since retiring from the Navy in 2010, Jocko has dedicated himself to sharing the leadership principles forged in combat to help leaders in business, government, education, and non-profits win on their own battlefields. He built Jocko Fuel after discovering harmful levels of heavy metals in a supplement he and his family once used daily, committing to a standard of only what you need—none of what you don’t. Through Origin USA, he champions American manufacturing, producing world-class apparel and gear entirely in the U.S.

Michelle Shapiro

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Arthur Brooks is a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Harvard Business School, where he teaches courses on leadership and happiness. He is also the host of the weekly podcast “Office Hours with Arthur Brooks,” and a columnist at The Atlantic, where he writes the popular weekly “How to Build a Life” column.

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Brooks is one of the world’s leading experts on the science of human happiness, appearing in the media and traveling the world to teach people in private companies, universities, public agencies, and faith communities how they can live happier lives and bring greater well-being to others.

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