Both Lilly and its rival Novo Nordisk A/S issued multiple lawsuits last year in an attempt to block companies that sell unapproved versions of their drugs which are in hot demand globally. Lilly has already filed 11 actions so far and accused the companies of trademark violations, false advertising and unfair competition by selling knockoff drugs as tirzepatide, the generic name for Mounjaro and Zepbound.
US regulators allow pharmacies to make copycat versions of drugs that are in shortage, which is called compounding.
Lilly sought to link the products with the possibility of outright counterfeits, saying on Thursday it “has discovered compounded drugs advertised as tirzepatide with safety, sterility and efficacy problems.” Some contained bacteria, impurities or were a completely different chemical than the Food and Drug Administration-approved Lilly medicine, the company said. “In at least one instance, the product was nothing more than sugar alcohol.”
Both Lilly and Novo are struggling to keep up with demand for their new weight-loss and diabetes medicines.
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