There has been an ongoing shortage of various drugs in recent years, including testosterone cypionate which is one of the most commonly prescribed testosterone therapies. The shortages have been caused by multiple factors:
Manufacturing and business issues
- Several major testosterone manufacturers have had production halts or delays due to manufacturing problems, changes in product formulation, or business decisions. This has reduced the overall supply.
- There have also been some mergers and acquisitions amongst pharmaceutical companies that make testosterone, leading to uncertainty and reductions in manufacturing capacity temporarily.
- Increased demand
- Testosterone replacement therapy has become more popular and widely prescribed in the last decade to treat clinically low testosterone levels or "low T" in men. This has driven up demand significantly.
- More men are getting diagnosed with hypogonadism leading to testosterone deficiency and are getting treatment. There is generally more awareness of low T amongst patients and providers.
- Supply chain disruptions
- Global supply chain issues during the COVID-19 pandemic caused shortages of various raw ingredients and disrupted manufacturing and distribution channels across industries, including pharmaceuticals. This also impacted testosterone availability.
- Regulatory issues regarding imported materials from certain countries have also caused delays and shortages over the past couple years.
The FDA reports shortages of various testosterone delivery methods:
- Testosterone cypionate injections (Depo-Testosterone, Watson, Generics)
- Testosterone enanthate injections (Delatestryl, Generics)
- Testosterone gels (AndroGel, Fortesta, Generics)
So in summary - yes, unfortunately there is an ongoing shortage of testosterone cypionate and other testosterone replacement drugs currently. Men undergoing
testosterone therapy may need to temporarily change to an alternative delivery method or adjust their treatment frequency.
If you are having trouble obtaining your testosterone medication, be sure to have a conversation with your healthcare provider about whether there are appropriate alternatives available and make a plan to resume your normal treatment when possible. Some options may include:
- Switching to a testosterone gel or other injection preparation
- Increasing the time between injections
- Compounding pharmacies may have some testosterone stock available
This situation is out of most patients' control but just requires some flexibility and adjustments until manufacturing and supplies can catch up with the demand again.
Stay in communication with your medical provider during this time.
Hormone Health Institute specializes in continuing care for patients during medication shortages.
We may be able to provide compounded bioidentical testosterone therapy when commercially made products are not available. Contact us today to discuss your treatment options or set up a consultation.
