Eli Lilly’s Trulicity (dulaglutide), a therapy for type 2 diabetes, has practically disappeared from the shelves in Moscow’s pharmacies. This is reported by Vedomosti with reference to the data of pharmacy aggregators and drug search services of the capital.
As the publication notes, in terms of the active substance, there are no alternatives to the drug. It is also reported that pharmacies that still have Trulicity on sale offer it for a price that is three times higher than the established marginal selling price.
Patients are forced to look for medicines in specialized social media communities, Vedomosti claims. The situation is similar with Opdivo (Swixx BioPharma’s nivolumab), an immunotherapy treatment for cancer patients. Both are prescription drugs.
According to Olesya Gurova, associate professor of the Department of Endocrinology at Sechenov University, Trulicity can be replaced by a sugar-lowering alternative of the same or another class, but they are also in short supply.
The State Duma approved, in the third reading, a bill on ensuring the availability of medical care and medicines for children and adults suffering from rare (orphan) diseases on November, 24.
