(Bloomberg) -- Eli Lilly & Co.’s blockbuster diabetes drug Mounjaro, which is commonly used off-label for weight loss, is again in short supply due to increased demand.

There will be limited availability of higher doses of the treatment through early March, according to a US Food and Drug Administration database that tracks shortages. So far, the FDA doesn’t list Mounjaro’s sister drug Zepbound, which is approved for weight loss, on its shortage list, though the two contain the same active ingredient.

The company is continuing to ship all doses to wholesalers, but anticipates intermittent backorders of higher doses over the next month, a Lilly spokesperson said in an emailed statement. 

“We recognize this situation may cause a disruption in people’s treatment regimens and we are moving with urgency to address it,” the spokesperson said.

Lilly and rival Novo Nordisk A/S, which makes Ozempic and Wegovy, have both struggled to maintain adequate supplies amid soaring demand for their drugs over the past year. 

Shortages of Lilly’s Mounjaro were briefly resolved in the fall, when the FDA’s database listed all doses as available. However, the company said at the time that it expected the situation would be tight for the foreseeable future.

Both Novo and Lilly have been investing heavily in ramping up production capacity to meet the surging demand for so-called GLP-1 drugs. On Monday, Novo agreed to buy three manufacturing plants to help it boost capacity for Ozempic and Wegovy.

Read More: Novo Seals $11 Billion Catalent Deal to Lift Wegovy Output

(Updates with company response in third and fourth paragraph.)

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.