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US FDA says all doses of Lilly’s weight loss and diabetes drug now available
All doses of Eli Lilly’s hugely popular weight loss injection Zepabound and diabetes drug Monjaro are now available across the US, according to an update on the US Food and Drug Administration’s drug shortage database. The update comes just a day after Eli Lilly said the shortage would end “very soon.” Demand for these weight loss and diabetes drugs has outpaced supply for months, causing Eli Lilly and its rival Novo Nordisk to invest billions to ramp up manufacturing. Read on to learn more.
The growing demand for the Monjaro and Zepbound has forced the company to invest billions of dollars to increase their production
Updating its shortage list, the US Food and Drug Administration said that all doses of Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug Zepabound and diabetes drug Monjaro are now available. However, the regulator has not yet removed these drugs from its shortage list.
Lilly’s Monjaro has been on the FDA’s shortage list since late 2022, while Zepbound was added to the list in April this year. The FDA says it continues to monitor the drug’s availability and is working with the company to ensure a steady supply of safe and effective medicines, Reuters reported over the weekend. “All doses of Monjaro and Zepbound remain listed as available on the FDA website, consistent with our previous statements that supply will steadily improve through the latter half of 2024.”
Demand for Monjaro and Zepbound is growing
According to the drugmaker, the growing demand for Monjaro and Zepbound has forced the company to invest billions of dollars to increase the production of these drugs.
Both Monjaro and Zepbound were originally developed for diabetes, but are also prescribed for weight loss as trials have found they reduce weight by up to 20 percent. According to estimates, the market for these treatments could reach $150 billion in revenue by the early 2030s.
Several doses of Novo’s Ozempic and Wegovy – also known as semaglutide – have been on the US health regulator’s shortage list since early 2022. Currently, all doses of diabetes drug Ozempic are available in the US, while three doses of Wegovy are in limited supply.
How does Monjaro work for weight loss?,
Monjaro is an injectable drug that activates two receptors in the body to help with weight loss, namely:
- Glucagon-like peptide-1, or GLP-1, regulates appetite and makes people feel full sooner, thereby reducing calorie intake.
- Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, or GIP – is a satiety hormone naturally produced by the gut, which can help people feel fuller longer after eating.
Monjaro also slows digestion, which can help with portion control and appetite control. It may also target areas of the brain, such as the hypothalamus, which regulates appetite and eating decisions.
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