The Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk contends that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, is too complex for those manufacturers to make safely.

Novo Nordisk on Tuesday asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ban compounding pharmacies from making copycat versions of its popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs, which it said were too complex for those manufacturers to produce safely.

Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk (NVO) is asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prohibit compounding pharmacies from making off-brand versions of semaglutide, the active ingredient in its blockbuster weight loss and diabetes medications.

The agency posted documents this week that the drugmaker had requested the drug be placed on the FDA's "Demonstrable Difficulties for Compounding Lists."