Him and her (HIM) is launching a new GLP-1 tracker as part of its efforts to combat the FDA’s decision to end GLP-1 compounds on the market.

The tracking system allows patients to identify themselves, provide their location and indicate which brand of GLP-1 drug they are unable to find. The data will be aggregated and regularly released by Hims to provide evidence to the FDA that brand-name drug shortages are not over, according to co-founder and CEO Andrew Dudum.

“We shared a week ago that over 80,000 people on our platform…are unable to access these medications and are reporting a shortage. And it’s actually only accelerating .Last week we had over 2,000 people in one day,” Dudum told Yahoo Finance in an exclusive interview.

“The reality on the ground is that this is a very widespread shortage,” he said.

The move comes after the FDA took down Eli Lilly’s key ingredient tirzepatide (LLY) diabetes drug Mounjaro and weight loss drug Zepbound, off its shortage list. The agency also evaluates Novo Nordisk (NVO) semaglutide medications for the same label. After significant backlash, the FDA announced that it would reevaluate the status of tirzepatide.

Brand-name pharmaceutical companies “don’t have sufficient supply,” Dudum said. “As for profits, they are very clear that they expect demand to exceed supply in the coming years. And if you look at the profits of the major wholesalers, you know, the Cardinals, McKesson , etc., the feeling was the same. We don’t know.

“I think they’re putting immense pressure on the FDA to indicate that they’re widely available, but (they’re) also communicating the realities on the ground themselves as it relates to patient access,” he said. -he added.

Once declared shortages end, pharmaceutical pharmacies have 60 days to stop production of copiers – which has been a booming market over the past two years. Some copycats supplied by medical spas and wellness clinics have been deemed risky because they use a different type of substance than brand-name drug formulas.

The same shadow of doubt has been cast over compounded pharmaceutical drugs, as they are not subject to the same rigorous clinical trial oversight as brand-name drugs. But Dudum said patients received better care through the compounding process, with no more reported problems than brand-name drugs and that the FDA tracks any adverse events.

He attributes the company’s success to the ability to personalize doses and adjust them at smaller frequencies than the increased doses provided by commercial brands. For example, a starting dose of Ozempic de Novo is 25 milligrams. The next step is 50 milligrams. But if a patient can’t handle that step, the preparation can provide a smaller adjustment and possibly reach 50 milligrams, Dudum explained.

The story continues