Lilly’s weight-loss drug Zepbound to face supply crunch through April-end, US FDA says
11:34 am Wednesday, April 03rd, 2024
(Reuters) -Two doses of Eli Lilly’s weight-loss drug Zepbound are expected to remain in short supply through April-end, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website showed on Wednesday, as demand for the powerful obesity drug soars.
The U.S. FDA’s website noted limited availability of the injection’s 5 milligram (mg) and 12.5 mg doses. Its 2.5, 7.5, 10 and 15 mg doses were listed as available.
Lilly did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Four doses of Mounjaro, Lilly’s diabetes drug that contains the same active ingredient as Zepbound, are also available in limited quantities through April, the regulator had said on Tuesday.
Growing demand for a class of highly effective diabetes and obesity drugs known as GLP-1 agonists, which suppress appetite and promote a feeling of fullness, has led to supply constraints for drugmakers such as Lilly and Danish rival Novo Nordisk.
Lilly said last week it continues to manufacture and ship all doses of Zepbound but due to the unprecedented demand for these medicines, some patients could experience difficulty when trying to fill their prescription at their pharmacy.
The drugmaker had previously said it expects demand for Mounjaro and Zepbound to outpace supply in 2024.
(Reporting by Christy Santhosh and Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)
