Eli Lilly Warns That 2 Insulin Products Will Be in Short Supply

Drugmaker Eli Lilly & Co is announcing a temporary shortage of two of its insulin products.

“The 10 mL [millilter] vials of Humalog® and Insulin Lispro Injection are or will be temporarily out of stock at wholesalers and some pharmacies through the beginning of April,” Lilly said in a recent statement.

The company said it is continuing to make the 10 mL vials, and “will ship them as soon as we can.” However, in the meantime patients with diabetes may need to consult with their doctors “to discuss switching to the same insulin in a prefilled pen or other insulin treatment options,” Lilly said.

Switching to another product may be more easily said than done, noted patient advocate Laura Marston. She has type 1 diabetes and uses Humalog.

Marston told CNN that she uses the vials in her insulin pump. Her insurance only covers the vials, through a prior authorization process that may be tough to get around.

“If Lilly doesn’t fix this fast, I actually don’t know what I’m going to do,” Marston told CNN.

Lilly said it is offering customers without insurance a coupon program offering insulin for $35.

“We recognize that any supply challenge may cause a disruption in people’s treatment regimens, and we are moving with urgency to address it,” its statement said.

“Patients who need insulin immediately and cannot access their healthcare provider for an alternative treatment option should seek emergency care,” the company added.

Lilly spokesman Tarsis Lopez told CNN that the “dynamic nature of insulin supply and demand, coupled with a brief delay in manufacturing, led to the temporary supply constraint.”

More information

Find out more about insulin at the American Diabetes Association.

SOURCES: Eli Lilly & Co, statement; CNN

Source: HealthDay