Updating its shortage lists, the US Food and Drug Administration said all doses of Eli Lilly’s weight-loss drug Zepbound and diabetes drug Mounjaro are now available. However, the regulator has not yet removed the drugs from its shortage list.

Lilly's Mounjaro 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 availability and work with the company to ensure a stable supply of safe and effective drugs, Reuters reported over the weekend. "All doses of Mounjaro and Zepbound are listed as available on the FDA's website which is consistent with our previous statements that supply would steadily improve toward the latter half of 2024."

According to the drugmaker, a surging demand for Mounjaro and Zepbound has led the company to invest billions of dollars to boost their production of these drugs.

Both Mounjaro and Zepbound were originally developed for diabetes, but are also prescribed for weight loss as they have been shown to reduce weight by up to 20 per cent in trials. According to estimates, the market for these therapies could hit $150 billion in revenues 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 the diabetes drug Ozempic are available in the US, while three doses of Wegovy remain in limited supply.

Mounjaro 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 faster, leading to lower calorie intake.
• The glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide or GIP - a satiety hormone that is naturally produced by the intestine, which can help people feel full longer after eating.

Mounjaro also slows down digestion, which can help with portion control and hunger. It can also target areas of the brain, like the hypothalamus, that control appetite and eating decisions.

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