The U.S. FDA confirmed that there is enough supply of Eli Lilly’s popular weight loss and diabetes drugs. This means there is no longer a shortage of these medicines. This decision stops the sale of cheaper copies that many patients use. However, pharmacies making these copies won’t face immediate action. Compounding pharmacies were surprised when the FDA first said the drugs were no longer in short supply. The FDA allows these pharmacies to make copies of brand-name medicines that are scarce.

A spokesperson from Lilly mentioned that anyone selling unauthorized versions of their drugs must stop and switch patients to FDA-approved medicines. The Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding, representing pharmacists, said this announcement might not be final. They sent results to the FDA showing many patients rely on compounded versions of another weight-loss drug. This news affected stock values for both Lilly and Novo Nordisk. An analyst predicts a small impact on drug prescriptions in the future. Another group sued the FDA, claiming Lilly’s claims of meeting demand were not properly evaluated. Insurers typically cover these drugs for diabetes, but not for weight loss, leading patients to pay for compounded versions themselves.