According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), shortages of the popular injected weight loss drugs Wegovy (semaglutide) and Zepbound (tirzepatide) won’t end anytime soon.
All three drugs are hard to come by right now because of increased demand, the FDA said. However, there is currently no shortage of Ozempic, the type 2 diabetes drug made from semaglutide, the same active ingredient in Wegovy, according to the FDA.
The shortage has waxed and waned and been somewhat unpredictable in recent months, says Jody Dushay MD, an endocrinologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.
Weight loss drug shortages by 2024
I have no idea when all the doses of all these drugs will be available, but I am quite pessimistic and guess there will be shortages of some or all of these drugs until 2024, says Dr. Dushay, depending on the difficulties that Boston faces. -patients in the area have gotten the most doses of Zepbound, Wegovy and Mounjaro.
Ozempic, which has been in short supply in the past, is likely to become scarce again as people who can’t get other drugs try it, Dushay adds.
Other doctors across the country say their patients are experiencing similar difficulties.
Everyone has supply issues, says Adam Gilden, MD, an obesity specialist and associate professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora. For patients of Dr. Gildens, Zepbound has been particularly hard to come by over the past couple of months.
In Chicago, there have been periodic shortages of Wegovy since the drug was first approved in 2021, while supply issues with Zepbound and Mounjaro have been more recent, says Anthony Millard, MD, an obesity specialist at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago.
We have patients calling all over the greater Chicago area, and some transfer prescriptions out of state and across the country to get them filled at the right dose, says Dr. Millard. It has been a major impediment to proper titration of the dose and thus to obtaining the expected weight loss goals and health benefits provided by the drug.
Pharmaceutical companies increase production in response to high demand
A spokesman for Eli Lilly, the company that makes Zepbound and Mounjaro, said the shortage was caused by an unprecedented surge in demand. While the Company expects limited availability in the near term, it anticipates that manufacturing investments will help incrementally increase production of our drugs throughout 2024 and beyond.
A spokesman for Novo Nordisk, which makes Wegovy and Ozempic, said shortages of other drugs may increase demand for Wegovy, despite the company’s efforts to increase production of the drug. We will continue to follow our plan to gradually increase global supply over the remainder of the year, but it is important to recognize that global demand will continue to outstrip supply, Novo Nordisk said.
Wegovy starting doses in limited supply
Wegovy comes in five different doses. Patients are advised to start with injections of 0.25 milligrams (mg) and gradually increase the dose every four weeks until they reach a maintenance dose of 1.7 or 2.4 mg, according to the company.
Availability is limited for the 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg doses of Wegovy, according to the FDA.
How hard is it to find starting doses of Mounjaro or Zepbound?
Similarly, Zepbound comes in six different doses. Patients start with an injection of 2.5 mg and gradually increase the doses every four weeks until they reach a maintenance dose that is usually 10 or 15 mg.
Only the starting 2.5 mg doses of Zepbound and Mounjaro are currently available with no shortage, according to the FDA.
The best way to minimize side effects is to start with a low dose and gradually increase the dose, says Shauna Levy MD, medical director of the Tulane University Weight Loss Center in New Orleans.
Why it is important to start with a low dose of Wegovy or Zepbound
Common side effects with Wegovy and Zepbound can include gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation.
If you skip doses and upgrade too quickly, you could have severe and persistent symptoms, Dr. Levy says. If started on a very high dose, most people experience symptoms so severe that they could end up in the emergency room with persistent vomiting and dehydration.
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