FDA says tirzepatide shortage is over after taking a second look
The FDA 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 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 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.
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