The GLP-1 Shortage Crisis: How the FDA and Big Pharma Are Leaving Us Scrambling

If you’re someone who uses GLP-1 medications like Tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound), you’ve probably felt the chaos surrounding these life-changing medications.

The FDA is now deciding whether to take them off the shortage list, and the stakes couldn’t be higher — especially for people like me who can only afford (and barely at that) the compounded versions.

Let’s start at the beginning:

In June 2021, the FDA approved Semaglutide (marketed as Wegovy) for chronic weight management

Clinical trials showed that patients using Wegovy lost an average of 15% of their body weight.

Fast forward to November 2023, when the FDA approved Tirzepatide (marketed as Zepbound) for chronic weight management.

The results?

Even more dramatic — participants in trials lost an average of 21% of their body weight at the highest dose.

Both Mounjaro and Zepbound work by mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which helps control blood sugar which makes you feel full, so you eat less. This is also how Wegovy and Ozempic work.

The big difference? Zepbound and Mounjaro also copy another hormone, GIP, which boosts the effect. GIP seems to work together with GLP-1 to make people feel even less hungry and help your body burn fat more effectively. This “double-action” is why Zepbound and Mounjaro often lead to more weight loss. Think of it like having two tools instead of one to tackle the same problem.

These drugs weren’t just game-changers — they were revolutionary.

Word spread quickly, especially in Hollywood, where celebrities began secretly using them for weight loss. Before long, demand skyrocketed, leaving pharmacies struggling to keep up.

https://yuniquemedical.com/tirzepatide-for-weight-loss/

By late 2022, the overwhelming demand led the FDA to place these medications on the official drug shortage list.

This designation allowed compounding pharmacies to step in and produce their own versions of the medications to fill the gap.

But there’s a catch — compounding pharmacies don’t have access to the proprietary formulations patented by Eli Lilly (Zepbound) or Novo Nordisk (Wegovy and Ozempic).

Instead, they had to create their own alternative. These compounded versions aren’t FDA-approved, meaning they don’t go through the rigorous testing for safety.

However, some doctors are increasingly supportive of compounded versions, prioritizing these to make effective treatments more accessible for patients who might struggle to afford the name-brands.

For many patients, the compounded versions are the only option because they’re significantly cheaper — sometimes half the price of the brand-name drugs (and this is still A LOT of money for the average person to be paying for their entire lifetime).

Even people who have successfully used Wegovy, Ozempic, and Zepbound have been switching to compounded alternatives to save money. (NBC Washington article)

Author’s creation, based on data compiled from sources such as GoodRx, Verywell Health, and Business Insider.

On October 2, 2024, the FDA removed these medications from the shortage list.

This decision didn’t just cause panic — it completely shut down compounding pharmacies.

Without the shortage designation, these pharmacies were no longer legally allowed to produce these medications, leaving patients with no way to access affordable alternatives.

The impact was immediate and devastating.

People couldn’t get their medication anywhere, and forums exploded with posts from patients panicking, desperate for answers.

For weeks, there were no options at all — no leftover supplies to find, no compounding pharmacies to turn to. Patients were stuck, and for many, it felt like their health hung in the balance.

But the compounding pharmacies fought back.

They filed a lawsuit against the FDA, accusing the agency of ignoring ongoing shortages and acting in the interests of big pharma instead of patients.

The lawsuit forced the FDA to backpedal and temporarily allow compounding pharmacies to resume production while the agency reevaluates its decision.

An official announcement expected on November 21, 2024.

This gave patients a brief window of relief but the uncertainty remains, and people have been scrambling to secure their medications while they still can.

Patients are attempting to contact multiple sources, sometimes spending thousands of dollars to obtain as many vials as possible.

Image provided by an anonymous contributor (brand name removed)

Reputable compounding pharmacies, however, uphold strict standards by requiring valid prescriptions and limiting purchases to one dose at a time to ensure patient safety and compliance with regulations.

Some individuals are turning to alternative or unregulated sources, both domestically and internationally, to stockpile additional supplies.

Here’s the kicker: a single vial of compounded medication (already mixed with liquid) typically has a “best used by” date of 28 days from the date it’s prepared.

This means that people trying to stockpile are taking a huge gamble. They risk using medication that’s expired, ineffective, or worse, harmful.

What makes this so infuriating is that these drugs aren’t just about aesthetics or losing a few pounds to fit into smaller clothes.

This is about health. For many people, these medications have been life-changing and potentially life-saving.

They’ve helped manage diabetes, improve heart health, and even resolve conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), while also showing promise in treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), protecting brain health, and reducing cravings in substance use disorders.

Below is an example of one woman who shared that her ovarian cysts completely disappeared after using Tirzepatide.

NSV (non scale victory) My ovarian cyst is GONE!

These drugs are giving people their lives back, but instead of celebrating that, big pharma and the FDA are making access more difficult — prioritizing profit and pushing people toward scammers and worse.

I know this struggle firsthand.

The first time I tried to order, I fell victim to a scam. My card was unexpectedly charged, and I was locked into a three month subscription that I couldn’t cancel or edit.

Thankfully, I found a more reliable option but I was still paying $300 for a single vial — a one-month supply of the beginner dose.

The price goes up significantly as the dosage increases.

And even with a somewhat trusted provider, the fear that this option could disappear overnight is overwhelming.

The worst part?

This chaos has driven some people to the ‘grey web.’ I’ve seen people buying compounded GLP-1 medications in bulk from China and Russia in a powdered form for longevity.

You can freeze the powder for years and buy 10 vials for the price of 1 from a compounding pharmacy. It’s an incredible deal that makes it very difficult for desperate people to resist.

But it’s not always pretty. These unregulated versions could contain anything…

There’s no guarantee of safety or quality, and I have seen some horror stories.

Yet this is what desperation does.

It pushes people to take risks because the alternative — losing access to this life-changing medication — is even scarier.

Someone reached out and asked me not to share what I found on the gray web. As compelling as it would be for an article, I feel obligated to respect the wishes of those forced to turn to these sources due to outrageous prices and the lack of access.

For some people, this is their only option — their only choice for living a healthy, fulfilling life. Their struggle deserves understanding, not exposure.

I’d also like to thank the anonymous source who reached out to me. Their trust and perspective have been invaluable. This community is built on mutual support, and we need each.

Click the link below to sign a petition to help keep compounding pharmacies open and fight for affordable GLP-1 options.

Protect Patients: Demand the FDA Ensure Access to Affordable GLP-1 Medications!

Even if the FDA allows them to stay open temporarily, it’s only a matter of time before big pharma catches up on supply and demand, leaving us with no options.

Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are losing billions of dollars to affordable compounded alternatives, and it’s clear their goal is to push patients back to brand-names by shutting down compounding pharmacies entirely.

If you’re one of the many people going through this madness, let me know how you’re surviving it. We are in this together!