FDA says Eli Lilly weight loss drug shortage is over after taking a second look


FDA says Eli Lilly weight loss drug shortage is over after taking a second look

Tirzepatide, the ingredient in Eli Lilly's Zepbound and Mounjaro, is no longer in shortage, according to the FDA.Shelby Knowles / Bloomberg via Getty Images file

The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it's standing by its earlier decision that the shortage of tirzepatide -- the active ingredient in Eli Lilly's diabetes and weight loss drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound -- is over.

The decision means that most compounding pharmacies will need to stop making compounded versions of the drug within 90 days.

Compounded tirzepatide has soared in popularity as people have sought cheaper alternatives to the brand-name drugs.

Compounded medications are essentially copies made by a licensed pharmacist and usually prescribed by a doctor. During FDA-declared shortages, it's legal for pharmacists to make compounded versions of brand-name drugs in shortage, though drugmakers have vehemently pushed back against the legitimacy of this practice.

The FDA initially declared the tirzepatide shortage over in October but the Outsourcing Facilities Association, a trade group for compounding pharmacists, sued, claiming the drug was still in shortage, which pushed the agency to take another look.

During its reevaluation, the FDA said it would allow pharmacists to continue making compounded versions of tirzepatide.

In a statement Thursday, an FDA spokesperson said compounding pharmacies have until Feb. 18 to distribute their remaining supply of the compounded drugs.

However, pharmacists producing the drugs in bulk -- known as 503B compounding facilities -- will get an additional month, with a deadline of March 19.

"FDA may still take action regarding violations of any other statutory or regulatory requirements, such as to address findings that a product may be of substandard quality or otherwise unsafe," the spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for the Outsourcing Facilities Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk's diabetes and weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, is still in shortage, according to the FDA.

Thursday's decision is a major win for Lilly, which maintained through the lawsuit that the shortage had been resolved. They've also pushed back on compounded versions of the drugs, claiming they are "untested, unapproved knockoffs."

Lilly had first indicated in August that the tirzepatide shortage would be resolved soon, two months before the FDA's initial decision that it was resolved.

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