Fears of a supply shortage of weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic in Australia have failed to materialise as distributors say global pharmaceutical giants have increased shipments of new medicines ahead of this week’s ban on local pharmacists making replica products.

Companies selling the drugs, which have been proven to help users lose weight by suppressing their appetite with a weekly injection, said while there was a shortage of Ozempic, new medicines Wegovy and Mounjaro launched in Australia last month were making up the shortfall.