Eli Lilly announced Tuesday that its recent diabetes drug, Mounjaro, was once more available with wholesalers, after a two-month-long shortage.

The drug used to treat type 2 diabetes is usually used off-label as a weight reduction drug. It was granted a fast-tracked label for weight reduction by the Food and Drug Administration in October 2022.

“Because Mounjaro continues to be a launch product with dynamic demand, some pharmacies may proceed to experience intermittent delays infrequently,” Eli Lilly told Reuters.

The booming demand for the drug led to a shortage in supplies, a lot in order that the U.S. health regulator added Mounjaro to its list of medicine facing shortages in December.

Approved in america in May 2022, Mounjaro is utilized by individuals with type 2 diabetes to manage their blood sugar levels. The common name of the drug is tirzepatide, and it’s a weekly injection. Resulting from its weight reduction effects, the drug is anticipated to get approval as a weight reduction medicine next 12 months.

A study conducted over 72 weeks found participants had a “substantial and sustained reduction in body weight,” by taking Mounjaro, no matter the dosage.

Uncomfortable side effects

Some potential uncomfortable side effects of taking the drug include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach pain, and indigestion, in line with Forbes. While symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting typically occur with a rise in dosage, they sometimes subside over time, according to Eli Lilly. 

Some severe uncomfortable side effects of Mounjaro include stomach issues, kidney problems, and kidney failure.

A more worrying side effect of Mounjaro is thyroid tumors or cancer. On this regard, the National Institute of Health’s Mounjaro medication guide advises against taking the medication if a patient has a family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma, a form of thyroid cancer, or in the event that they have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type two. 

Effectiveness as a weight reduction drug

Within the clinical trial mentioned earlier, it was found that Mounjaro usage allowed participants to lose as much as 22.5% of their body fat. As compared, other weight reduction drugs–Wegovy and Saxenda–did not fare as well, with participants experiencing a median of a 15% and 5% reduction in body fat respectively.

Cost 

Despite being effective, the price of Mounjaro may be prohibitive for some people. When used as a drug to treat type two diabetes, it costs $1,023.04 per refill (which lasts for 28 days) without insurance, according to Eli Lilly.