Europe to face shortage of Lilly's diabetes drug through September
(Reuters) -Europe will continue to face a shortage of Eli Lilly & Co's blockbuster diabetes drug Trulicity through September, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Monday.
Like rival Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly has also been struggling to meet high demand for its diabetes drugs including Trulicity, which treats type 2 diabetes in people older than 10.
Novo's diabetes drug Ozempic was in short supply for months in the U.S., partly driven by prescriptions to non-diabetic patients seeking to lose weight.
Ozempic and Lilly's Trulicity belong to a class of medicines called GLP-1 receptor agonists, which were originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes but also mimic a gut hormone that suppresses appetite and promotes a feeling of fullness.
The EMA said on Monday Austria, Finland, Greece, Poland and Sweden are currently affected by the Trulicity shortage, while temporary shortfalls are also expected in Denmark and Norway.
In January, Eli Lilly planned to invest an additional $450 million to expand the capacity of a plant in North Carolina to meet the growing demand of its diabetes drugs.
(Reporting by Khushi Mandowara in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)
