2023-12-21 00:44:15
Demand for Mounjaro, a treatment for type 2 diabetes which, like Ozempic, is known for its weight loss capabilities, has “far exceeded” Eli Lilly Canada’s forecasts, she says. . The company that produces the drug is calling on health professionals to limit new prescriptions to promote continuity of care for patients who are already taking it.
Since the beginning of last November, this drug has been on the Canadian market for diabetic patients. “Although it is not indicated for weight management, Mounjaro was associated with significantly greater weight reduction compared to Ozempic at 1 mg,” the company said in a press release announcing the arrival of this product. treatment in the country.
However, Mounjaro is currently the subject of strong demand having exceeded forecasts, in particular due to supply constraints affecting competing drugs such as Ozempic, estimates Eli Lilly Canada. In an email dated December 18, 2023, the company specifies that the additional quantities of the product expected at the beginning of 2024 will not be sufficient in the current context.
She therefore hopes that health professionals will take this information into account “when making therapeutic choices”. Limiting the introduction of new treatments at Mounjaro would “reduce the pressure on available stocks” and prevent disruptions in the continuity of care offered to patients, according to the company.
This situation regarding supply has been known for a while, told Devoir Dr. Marie-Philippe Morin, specialist in bariatric medicine at the University Institute of Cardiology and Pneumology of Quebec. “I would tell you that the number of patients we put on Mounjaro is still very, very low. So, for the moment, this announcement will not have a big impact,” she maintains, referring to the novelty of the product.
However, she adds that it would have been practical to have access to this drug to be able to prescribe it to people who take Ozempic, given that the latter currently has an uneven supply. “But that will not be a possible option,” she laments.
Strong global demand
Currently, the strong demand for drugs like Mounjaro is felt globally, says Dr. Morin. “These are treatments that are effective in type 2 diabetes. They produce significant chemical reductions in blood sugar as well as significant weight reductions which have various benefits. These are interesting therapeutic choices for our patients. »
For his part, the president of the Quebec Association of Pharmacist Owners, Benoit Morin, questions the position of Canada in this international race for stocks of Ozempic or Mounjaro. “In our drug pricing policy, are we disadvantaged in all of this? »
Another factor to consider when it comes to Mounjaro and its availability is that it is more complicated to manufacture than Ozempic, specifies André Charette, professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Montreal. “Its structure includes 39 amino acids that must be coupled like Lego blocks and most of which are different. A shortage of these Lego blocks or the reagents that are used to assemble them will therefore lead to a supply problem,” he explains.
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