A new diabetes drug was quietly launched in Australia in September. It’s already sold out

A new diabetes drug prescribed off-label for weight loss is already experiencing shortages, just weeks after becoming available in Australia.

Yesterday, pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly issued an alert, warning that most doses of the drug Mounjaro were currently unavailable due to “higher-than-expected demand.”

Shortages are expected to continue well into 2024, leaving doctors and patients in limbo.

Despite much publicity about its effectiveness in treating diabetes and inducing weight loss, Mounjaro, which contains the active ingredient tirzepatide, was launched on the Australian market with little fanfare in late September.

Mounjaro is a weekly injection currently approved by the TGA as a type 2 diabetes medication, but the ABC understands it is also widely prescribed for weight loss.

It has recently been approved for the treatment of obesity in the UK and US, while the TGA is currently considering a similar application in Australia.

Clinical trials sponsored by Eli Lilly found that obese patients lost up to 20 percent of their body weight with the highest doses of the drug.

However, about 80 percent of the 2,500 study participants also reported mild to moderate side effects, most commonly nausea, diarrhea and constipation.

The drug carries a warning about the potential risk of thyroid tumors, which have only been observed in animal trials. Other rare but serious side effects include acute pancreatitis and gallbladder disease.

Do you know more about weight loss drug delivery issues? You can safely contact eliseworthington@protonmail.com

Unlike Ozempic, Mounjaro is not listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, meaning any patient using the drug cannot get a subsidized drug and the price is set by providers.

The cost of private medicine depends on the strength of the dose; the highest dose, 15 mg, costs up to $170 per week or more than $600 per month.

Doctors surprised by sudden shortage

Dr Terri-Lynne South, chair of the RACGP’s Specific Interest Obesity Management group, said she did not understand how the shortage had happened so quickly.

“I’m very disappointed and I’m like, ‘Here we go again.’ I feel so sorry for all the patients who are taking that medication,” Dr. South said.

“A lot of patients have just started taking this medication because they couldn’t access Ozempic and if they can’t access Mounjaro, and Ozempic is also difficult, it’s just one blow after another.”

Dr South said that although the two drugs were primarily used to treat type 2 diabetes, the potential for weight loss was a draw for many patients.

But it’s not a short-term solution and “when they stop taking this medication, whether it’s Mounjaro, Ozempic or Saxenda, they will hopefully regain that weight,” he said.

Dr South said most people were prescribed Mounjaro long-term, due to complex chronic health conditions such as diabetes or obesity, and those patients needed a continuous supply.

He said he hoped the problem would be resolved in the long term as new diabetes and weight loss drugs came on the market.

“I think there will be a temporary problem with supply that will really hurt people, but I’m hopeful that there will be a variety of other medications on the horizon,” he said.

Lawsuit catches pharmacists off guard

Despite being a small family-owned pharmacy, Bill Warner Chemist in Darlinghurst has been dealing with an influx of applications for both Mounjaro and Ozempic.

“Every day we get people calling or coming in saying they can’t get it anywhere and they’ve tried 10 pharmacies that day,” pharmacist Oliver Warner told ABC.

He said this was in stark contrast to Mounjaro’s quiet launch in September.

Oliver Warner said customers had gone to several pharmacies to access the medication. (ABC News: Elise Worthington)

“We could see that our wholesaler had a lot of stock, there were thousands and thousands of vials available, but no one had heard of it,” Warner said.

Within weeks, that changed and the pharmacy had to order additional stock to meet demand.

Now they can’t get anything.

Warner said the shortage would affect patients who hoped to use the drug as a tool to manage diabetes and lose weight.

“A lot of evidence points to the fact that when you stop (taking the medication), all the weight comes back,” Warner said.

“It’s also quite expensive, for the highest power it would be around $170 per week.

“We’re talking about at least $80 to $90 a week for the lowest wattage.”

“It’s a lot of money”: patients continue buying despite the cost

For Darwin resident Mel, who did not want to use her surname, it was a high price to pay, but worth it for the promise of steady weight loss.

He currently pays $82 a week for a lower dose.

“Well, I think it’s a lot of money. I did it to test it, to see if it works,” he said.

“I was prediabetic and there was a high rate of heart disease in my family, with heart attacks, strokes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.”

Mel started taking the medication three weeks ago after her weight loss stalled on Ozempic.

“For me I needed it for my health and I didn’t want to tell people, I don’t want… people to think I was being selfish for taking it away from diabetics, I didn’t want them to judge me for that.” ,” she said.

But now your pharmacy has informed you that it is out of stock and that you only have one vial left.

“There are a lot of other people who need this in their lives to make a difference to their health and mentally, so I wish it was available and a lot cheaper,” he said.

Now he is considering returning to Ozempic, which he does have in stock at his pharmacy for now.

Ozempic is currently listed on the TGA’s drug shortage database and pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk says limited supply is forecast throughout 2024.

Shortage of weight loss drugs expected by 2024

Ahead of Mounjaro’s launch in Australia, Eli Lilly was optimistic that supply could meet market demand.

Eli Lilly Australia’s associate medical vice president, Dr Kevin Lim, told the Medical Republic publication they had been “very careful about only launching the product when we know we are going to provide sufficient supply.”

In a statement to ABC, an Eli Lilly spokesperson said that despite setting “very high stock forecasts,” they had seen “much faster take-up of Mounjaro than anticipated.”

“This is in part due to continued stock issues with other type 2 diabetes treatments that were announced the same week we launched them,” the spokesperson explained, “along with an unexpected increase in consumer demand.”

“Lilly will continue to work closely with the TGA to ensure the medicines shortage database reflects the latest information as we receive additional shipments from Mounjaro in the coming months.

“Patients who are unable to fill their prescription in time for their next dose should consult with their healthcare professional about their treatment plan.

“We recognize the inconvenience these disruptions may cause.

“Lilly is in frequent contact with wholesalers and together we are closely monitoring stock levels. Additionally, we continue to invest and add manufacturing and supply capacity around the world, to ensure our medicines are available to the people who need them,” the statement reads. read.