A pharmacist displays boxes of Ozempic, a semaglutide injection drug used for treating type 2 diabetes made by Novo Nordisk, at Rock Canyon Pharmacy in Provo, Utah, March 29, 2023.
George Frey | Reuters
Eli Lilly has taken legal action against 10 medical spas, wellness clinics, and compounding pharmacies across the United States for allegedly selling unauthorized and cheaper versions of their diabetes drug Mounjaro. This move comes as Eli Lilly faces a shortage of Mounjaro caused by high demand and increased popularity due to its off-label use for weight loss.
The lawsuits filed by Eli Lilly are aimed at blocking the sales of counterfeit Mounjaro and seeking monetary damages. The company accuses the targeted spas, clinics, and compounding pharmacies of marketing and selling “compounded” drug products that claim to contain tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro. These compounded drugs are custom-made versions of the treatment that are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Eli Lilly, the sole patent holder of tirzepatide, does not supply this ingredient to external entities. It remains unclear what the spas and clinics are actually selling to consumers. The company argues that these counterfeit versions of Mounjaro put patients at risk by exposing them to drugs that have not been proven to be safe or effective.
In a similar vein, Novo Nordisk previously filed lawsuits against spas and medical clinics for selling compounded versions of their weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. The FDA has warned about the safety risks of unauthorized versions of these drugs, but has not specifically issued a warning regarding compounded versions of tirzepatide. However, all three drugs have been in short supply in the United States since last year, as reported by the FDA’s database.
Industry experts predict that annual sales of these weight-loss drugs and similar treatments could reach $100 billion within the next decade.
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