Shaun Noorian, CEO of Empower Pharmacy, said that recent findings by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicate that efforts by the pharmaceutical industry to discredit compounding pharmacies were not rooted in safety concerns. Instead, he emphasized their importance for patient access. This statement was made on LinkedIn.
"The FDA just confirmed what many of us in compounding have known all along: The smear campaign against compounded GLP-1s was never about safety," said Noorian, according to LinkedIn. "Big Pharma has spent the past 36 months using fear, misinformation, and regulatory pressure to paint compounding pharmacies as a public health threat. Compounders are not the villains. They are the front line of access when manufactured drugs are unavailable, unaffordable, or not clinically appropriate. The facts are now on the table."
For over three years, major pharmaceutical companies such as Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have reportedly employed tactics including fear, lawsuits, and regulatory pressure to undermine compounding pharmacies amid increasing demand for GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide. According to commentary from Skadden law firm and media reports, these branded manufacturers have lobbied the FDA to halt compounding practices, petitioned to list GLP-1 ingredients as "demonstrably difficult to compound," and filed patent litigation. These actions occurred during shortages and high costs for patients. Empower Pharmacy and advocates of compounding argue that these tactics were more about protecting profit margins than ensuring safety or providing affordable, patient-customized treatment.
The FDA's latest adverse event reporting reveals that out of 520 cases involving compounded semaglutide and 480 cases with compounded tirzepatide, most were typical side effects already documented for FDA-approved versions. The report highlights only one serious incident linked to a fraudulent pharmacy, indicating that properly compounded GLP-1 medications from regulated sources are as safe as their branded counterparts. This data supports the safety profile of legitimate compounding practices while undermining industry-driven fearmongering.
According to the FDA's public bulletin, "Many of the adverse events reported for compounded products appear to be consistent with adverse events related to the FDA-approved versions of these products." This conclusion suggests that when medications are compounded by compliant pharmacies, the risk is comparable to that of brand-name drugs. Most harm originated from unlicensed operators and online scam sites rather than professional state-licensed compounding sectors.
Noorian is also known as the founder of Empower Pharmacy, a Houston-based compounding pharmacy established in 2009. According to Forbes Councils, Noorian was inspired by personal health experiences to enhance access to affordable medications through customized pharmaceutical solutions. With a background in mechanical engineering, he has expanded Empower into one of the largest compounding pharmacies in the United States while advocating for regulatory reform aimed at broadening patient access.
Empower Pharmacy operates both a 503A compounding pharmacy and a 503B outsourcing facility from its headquarters in Houston, Texas. The company produces customized medications tailored to individual patient needs and supplies larger-scale pharmaceutical products. It remains committed to expanding access to quality medications by integrating advanced technology and scientific expertise into its operations.
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