Weight-loss drug shortage result of 'unprecedented demand'

Certain doses of Eli Lilly's (LLY) GLP-1 weight loss drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro are facing a supply shortage, much like competitor Novo Nordisk's (NVO) own weight-loss treatment Wegovy. Eli Lilly is now considering releasing vials of their treatments for consumers capable of self-administering the drug. The #ReleaseTheVials campaign across social media is pressuring the pharmaceutical company to go this route for quicker, easier consumer access.

On The Pen Live Host Dave Knapp talks about his experience using various treatment methods after a Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis and the major supply and demand imbalances occurring around the pharmaceutical trend.

"Even though... you've seen them [Eli Lilly] announce major investments in the United States in manufacturing... they just can't keep up with 100,000 precipitations a week. You saw Eli Lilly and Zepbound specifically eclipse Wegovy..." Knapp tells Yahoo Finance. "You saw Zepbound eclipse Wegovy for the first time in new prescriptions just a week ago. And there's just no way they can keep up with that when you consider the complexity of the pens and the manufacturing of these very, very difficult — [Eli Lilly CEO] Dave Rick's own words — some of the most complex things to manufacture in the country."

For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Yahoo Finance Live.

Editor's note: This article was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

Video transcript

[AUDIO LOGO]

- The complexity of making injector pens holding Eli Lilly back from meeting demand on its weight-loss shot, Zepbound, what's a possible solution Lilly could ditch the pen and sell Zepbound in vials that would allow people to give themselves the medicine with their own syringes. Now a move our next guest has been advocating for in a campaign known as #ReleaseTheVials Dave Knapp host of "On The Pen Live," joining us now to discuss along with Yahoo Finance's Anjalee Khemlani. So Dave, first of all, I'm so curious how you came to this because you do have a podcast that you do where you talk about this issue. But how did you-- I know you started using the product. But just tell us your story.

DAVE KNAPP: Yeah, absolutely. So I was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes at a pretty young age. 2021, in the fall, I received my diagnosis, and I tried a lot of things in that year to get my blood sugars down to help get my weight under control, all those things that help to control your diabetes. After a year of white knuckling it, my doctor introduced the idea of bariatric surgery. And because I did not have coverage for bariatric surgery at the time, he pushed me to these new class of medications called GLP-1, or incretin mimetic therapies, and that's where I learned about Mounjaro. And basically the way that he couched it at that time was, these medicines are actually doing hormonally for people what bariatric surgery does.

So we've now found medical ways to accomplish what bariatric surgery can accomplish. And so in the course of my investigating the medicine and trying to learn everything I could about what these medications could possibly do, what I found from content on the web was typically more vlog, a day in the life of, or here's how I lost 100 pounds with at the time, Ozempic was the big one. And what I found was from the patient and layperson perspective, there was very little out there in the way of information about these medications. It was all pretty brand new.

And so really what I sought out to do. The day that I was prescribed Mounjaro was to just start making content about everything I could learn about these medications so that those who had come behind me, and I knew based upon my quick research that there would be millions and millions of people to come behind me, and so to just lay the groundwork for people to know how to get started, And then it sort of evolved into just staying on top of everything news wise because there have been so many issues about accessibility to the medication.

ANJALEE KHEMLANI: And Dave, I'd love to know, you are talking about all the issues that patients face. You've also been pushing this program for the patients to gain access. I wonder to in addition to the product itself, the pens, I know that there is also generally a shortage because of the way that these companies have been looking at manufacturing as well as even some pharmacies, especially the smaller ones, not having access because of reimbursement. So it seems like a multi-pronged issue that is causing the shortage aside from the vials. Have you had any luck with alternative sources, or there's also compounding, for example, with access to that in a safe way?

DAVE KNAPP: Sure. And that's a great question. I think I'll leave the I'll leave the conversations about the safety and the efficacy of the compounded or generic versions of these medications, which are allowed when a medication is in a shortage. I'll leave that conversation to the doctors. But you are right. It is a multifaceted approach. I mean, currently, obviously, you've got these medications in shortage. The shortage really is unprecedented demand, and I think Eli Lilly did a good job.

They had a forerunner in Novo Nordisk's blockbuster Ozempic and Wegovy to show what the maybe acceptance rate would be on the insurance side as far as the addition of the medications to the formulary. So they had a forerunner, and sometimes being the second person to the party, there's a little advantage. But even though they had that, and even though you've seen them announce major investments in the United States in manufacturing, there's the news obviously today about the ground breaking over in Germany for the ex-US markets, they just can't keep up with 100,000 prescriptions a week.

You saw Eli Lilly and Zepbound specifically eclipse Wegovy, which are both the weight-loss indications from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly respectively. You saw Zepbound eclipse Wegovy for the first time in new prescriptions just a week ago, and there's just no way they can keep up with that when you consider the complexity of the pins and the manufacturing of these very, very difficult-- Dave Ricks CEO of Eli Lilly's own words, some of the most complex things to manufacture in the country.

- So just quickly, Dave, have you been unable to get the medication you need and either you or people you've heard from? We keep hearing-- once you're on this stuff, you've got to keep taking it. What happens if you do miss a dose?

DAVE KNAPP: Sure. So I think it's important to separate the conversation between diabetic patients and patients taking for obesity simply because they're different medications. So the Mounjaro medication has been on and off the FDA shortage list for the last year or year or more. Zepbound has not been added to that list until very recently. I myself have had to step back and dose. And as a diabetic, the upper doses of these medications are really where the magic happens for a lot of people, not only from a glucose control but for those who have type-2 diabetes that are also taking it hopefully to lose a little bit of weight.

So I myself have had to step back in doses. I've been very fortunate to have doctors who are willing to put in the effort and energy to advocate for me and help me find the branded versions. It's getting harder and harder, though. I've heard from thousands, and I'm talking thousands of people through my social media channels, Katrina drove 7-plus hours the other day round trip, calling over 300 pharmacies, just to find a medication, a Mounjaro script that was a step back in the dose that she was on. So you start-- and this is not an isolated story-- so you start to get a feel for the throngs of people who are really having to make massive adjustments in their life just to stay on the medication.

And sadly, what I'm hearing from a lot of fellow diabetics is that their A1C is going out of whack because they've had to extend the period of time that they take the shots. It's a once weekly shot. So maybe they're taking it every 10 days or every 12 days, and they're paying a price through their blood glucose numbers and things like that. So a lot of people are looking towards as you alluded to some of those other off label options, which again, I'll leave the conversation about the safety and efficacy to the experts on that. But there are questions.

- Yeah, most definitely. Well, Dave keep us posted. Of course, we'll be talking to the companies too to see if they make any changes. Really appreciate your time, and thanks to Anjalee as well.

DAVE KNAPP: Thank you for having me.