Some patients fear that they’ll lose access to tirzepatide because the US Food and Drug Administration determined that a shortage of the brand-name drug has ended – which means compounding of the medicine must stop.

But FDA says it's over. Compounding pharmacies are suing the Food and Drug Administration so they can keep making imitation versions of popular—and lucrative—tirzepatide drugs, namely knockoffs of Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound for weight loss.

With the shortage over, compounding pharmacies are no longer allowed to produce the popular weight loss drugs.