United States: People who need diabetes medicine are having a hard time finding it because the medicine is running out of stock.
This is happening because the medicine also helps people lose weight, so more people want to use it.
Doctor’s Advice:
A doctor from San Diego named Dr. Steven Edelman who helps people with diabetes, says that the deficit is very bad for those who need the medicine.
There are some medicines which are available in the market like Victoza, Ozempic and Mounjaro which are in actual meant to treat type-two diabetes and they’re actually in short supply these days as they also help patients to lose weight and along with other health benefits according to Dr. Edelman.
Health Benefits of GLP-1 Drugs
“These GLP-1 drugs not only reduce your blood sugar and help you lose weight, they protect against heart attacks and strokes. They protect against fatty liver. And there was just a publication showing that they reduce seven types of cancers that are associated with obesity,” said Edelman.
A CBS 8 viewer contacted us after she was unable to find Victoza anywhere, a drug she’s been taking for years.
Impact on Patients
Lately in October the company that makes Victoza, Novo Nordisk announced that it would reduce production of the drug in order to increase production of Ozempic.
“Both Novo Nordisk and Lilly, the makers of these GLP-1 drugs, they are building plants all around the world with 24/7 workers, three shifts a day because they’re trying to keep up with the demand,” said Edelman.
Company Response
As this information concluded by CBS and they reached out to Novo Nordisk, they provided the following statement:
“Since supply disruptions began in January 2024, we have been continuously supplying the market with product. However, the limited supply situation will continue in the U.S. throughout 2024. At this time, we cannot project when we will reach full supply. This is not a result of the success of our GLP-1s.
So, they recommended some suggestions for the people who are looking for these drugs and can’t find it at their local pharmacy for the availability of this they can visit their local stores as well and they recommend the patients speak their healthcare provider about their treatment plan to determine the best course of the action.