Eli Lilly's Weight Loss Injection and Diabetes Drug Now Fully Stocked in U.S.

After recent shortages, all doses of Eli Lilly's popular weight loss injection Zepbound and diabetes drug Mounjaro are currently accessible in the United States. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's drug shortage database confirmed the resolution on Friday, marking a significant milestone in addressing the supply issues that had been impacting the availability of these crucial medications.

Previous Shortages Addressed

An earlier update had indicated that there were still insufficient doses of the treatments available. The shortage of some Mounjaro doses dated back to 2022, while Zepbound experienced supply issues shortly after its U.S. approval in November of the same year. The persisting high demand for weight loss and diabetes drugs had resulted in a prolonged period of scarcity, leading Eli Lilly and its competitor, Novo Nordisk, to make substantial investments, totaling billions of dollars, to scale up their manufacturing capabilities and meet the market's needs.

Company's Response and FDA's Update

The FDA's latest update followed comments made by Eli Lilly CEO, David Ricks, to Bloomberg a day earlier, in which he expressed confidence that the shortages of Mounjaro and Zepbound would be resolved imminently. Ricks stated, "I think actually today or tomorrow we plan to exit that process," conveying a sense of urgency in addressing the supply challenges. While a representative of Eli Lilly did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on the FDA's update, the confirmation of full availability of these medications is a positive development for patients reliant on these treatments.

Novo Nordisk's Products

In addition to Eli Lilly's products, the FDA also reported that all doses of Novo Nordisk's diabetes injection Ozempic are now accessible in the U.S. However, the update also mentioned that there is still a limited supply of some doses of Novo Nordisk's weight loss drug Wegovy, indicating that challenges in ensuring the availability of these critical medications persist across the industry.