I spoke with Dai Jinn, Chief Pharmacist at RLC Laboratories, today to get an update on the status of their natural desiccated thyroid drugs, Nature-Throid and Westhroid. Like their competitor Armour Thyroid, both drugs have been on long-term backorder in recent months.According to Dai, they have been working through some issues with raw material supply and testing, and next week they expect to begin shipping a partial supply of 1 grain Nature-Throid (and a smaller amount of 1 grain Westhroid*). They will be ramping up production, so that they can ship greater quantities into mid-December, but expect to be caught up with backorders -- and out of the backorder situation -- on all dosage sizes of Nature-Throid and Westhroid by the end of December, 2009.
This is good news for the many thyroid patients who have switched to Nature-Throid from Armour, after Armour's unsuccessful reformulation earlier this year.
Where does this leave the natural thyroid issue? Still up in the air, however, because the word on the street is that the FDA still intends to call for a new drug application for the remaining brands of natural desiccated thyroid drugs. When that will happen, and under what terms, are still up in the air.
But the Save Natural Thyroid Coalition Steering Committee has been working behind the scenes to help meet a number of objectives:
- To ensure that when the drug application process is called for, that it will be as quick as possible, ideally an abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) rather than the lengthier, costlier traditional new drug application (NDA) process.
- To represent patient interests by helping to ensure that natural desiccated thyroid drugs will remain on the market and available to patients during any ANDA or NDA process.
- To help legitimize the attitude regarding natural thyroid drugs so that the approvals process will take place in an environment that is less biased against natural thyroid drugs, and less affected by the heavy-handed marketing, lobbying and influence-peddling wielded by the big drug companies that make the leading brands of levothyroxine. (These levothyroxine makers have a competitive interest in getting natural thyroid drugs off the market.)
* Note: While they have different names, Nature-Throid and Westhroid are identical medications.
MORE INFORMATION:
- The Armour Thyroid and Nature-Throid Shortage Information Center
- Save Natural Thyroid Coalition Website
- Save Natural Thyroid Coalition Yahoo Listserv
Image: clipart.com
Mary, You are the BEST! Thank GOD for the committee. I am so grateful for everyone that is fighting so hard to keep the natural thyroid drugs available. Yesterday, a woman fainted in my spin class due to being switched to Synthroid. Since the switch, she has racing heart, sleep issues, and is now experiencing problems with sugar just like I did. The doctors told me the sugar/Synthroid connections was bunk. I think not!
I too had a bad reaction from Synthroid: ears ringing alot, sleepless nights (not good for anyone but particularly fibromyalgia suffers), and depression. I did seem to crave sugar more too, but not sure if that was a Synthroid side effect.
Thanks for your help!
Do you have any information on ERFA regarding FDA approval which I believe they are seeking?
I have been unable to get a natural thyroid hormone for over two months. I ran out of my last of the Armour about three weeks ago. Rite Aide said they didn’t have Armour or Nature-Throid and could not get it. finally a week ago, they said they might be getting Nature-Throid at the end of the month (Nov.) But yesterday (11-27) they said no; it isn’t available and were quite defensive about it being the manufacturer’s supply problem.
I had checked with Walgreens and Costco back about two weeks before I ran out of the last of my Armour. Walgreens did not have Nature-Throid, told me it was the manufacturer’s fault, and didn’t seem to be even interested in adding me to their list of people waiting.
Costco said, they ordered it every day, but a bottle came in only randomly every so often. They also were not willing to add a “new customer” to their waiting list. I’ve belonged to Costco for many, many years since they first came here, but haven’t gotten my prescriptions there, as they refused to sell me a full bottle of 100 Armour tabs, unopened, in the original bottle sealed from the manufacturer. Sheesh!
I had read that even the compounding pharmacies were having trouble getting the ingredients to make the tabs, but was told by my Rite Aid pharmacist (one of many-there’s a high turnover rate there) that the compounding pharmacy in my small town apparently is making this prescription for people. So, I’ll be going down there on Monday to see if it is true.
In the mean time, since after a long trial over way too many years of finding what worked for me, I’d been taking a combination of Armour and Levoxyl, I’ve had to increase the Levoxyl to get through this. I am not sure if it is going to work well at all. I am so mad over this I could head off with a sign to protest! But I’d probably freeze to death while doing it. Really! Whoever is responsible for all of this should be held accountable. I don’t care what the reason is!
Does this mean that the compounding pharmacys are going to have difficulty in making the compounded meds? I have been ill since last July and finially got some compounded about 5 weeks ago–I am back to work but if I can’t get this stuff it’ll kill me….
Any one know here about this?
thanks,
Linda
Unfortunately, I just called RLC to verify pharmacies where they will ship the Nature-Throid this week, and the woman said that as of 10 minutes ago, they will no longer be able to ship this week. When I requested expected date of shipment (could it be weeks, or months?) she said it’s undetermined, and to check back. No reason was given for the delay. I’ve been underdosing my Armour at 180mg down to 120mg to avoid running out completely, but I called around today and managed to find one pharmacy that had stock of 120mg Armour. I would like to try to improve symptoms with Nature-Throid, but guess that day will have to wait.
I guess RLC lied to Mary when she called them last week and they said they would be shipping in about a week, not to mention, a while back when they said they would start shipping in mid November. I’m so sick of these drug companies lying to everybody. Why don’t they just say they don’t know when they will ship, instead of getting our hopes up by giving us dates they will start shipping, then not doing so. I don’t trust anything they say at all anymore, and with good reason.